Oyo 2019: Makinde in last-minute rush to shop for deputy

GOVERNORSHIP candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State, Engr Seyi Makinde might trade off his deputy for a new running mate, Mega Icon Magazine exclusively learnt.

According to our checks, the provincial list of candidates for governorship election released by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, last week, revealed that Makinde’s publicist, Alhaji Akeem Azeez has been picked as the party’s deputy governorship nominee.

Interestingly, Makinde and his deputy, Akeem Azeez are from the same Ibadan North East Local Government.

Also, Mega Icon Magazine gathered that the PDP guber candidate, Makinde is frantically shopping for a person and most likely from the aggrieved members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), particularly within the Ladoja’s camp, and a stock outside Ibadanland to brighten his chances against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidates  with a view to helping him sway votes during the poll.

The defections of former Governor Rashidi Ladoja among others to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has put the PDP and its candidate, Seyi Makinde in dilemma as to how a running mate will emerge ahead of the 2019 elections in the state.

“Though, the party submitted names to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as a matter of strategy and to fulfill the commission’s guidelines, but have eyes on substituting the names with those they believe could appeal to the electorates.

“However, the time frame is now short, but the party is still consulting as to the choice of the candidate that should be merged with Makinde in order to give us an edge over other parties in the state. But, we submitted the name of Alhaji Akeem Azeez as a tentative Deputy Governorship candidate to INEC pending our determination on choice of nominee”, an inside source disclosed.