3rd February, 2022
By Adeyemi Adeleye
A former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Lagos, Dr Ade Dosunmu, said only credible primary elections will make the party win the 2023 governorship election in the state.
Dosunmu, who is eying the Lagos state PDP gubernatorial ticket in 2023, told newsmen that genuine reconciliation after primaries would help PDP defeat the ruling party.
According to him, the main opposition party is waxing stronger by the day and is ready to win and rule the state in 2023, considering the alliances.
“Every aspirant should be subjected to primaries on a level playing field to test strength. That is the beauty of democracy – giving people a platform and opportunity to express their aspirations.
“We must ensure credible primaries and be united as a party after the primaries to face the common enemy. A credible primary election is a solution.
“Credible primary elections will make every contestant support whoever emerges. There will be no issue, and that is what PDP stands for.
“If we can do that this time around in a less acrimonious way, and we can come together after primaries to face APC, the result will be different,” Dosunmu said.
The PDP chieftain noted that the party meant well for Lagos but it is yet to make progress commensurate to its available resources.
This, he said was because the state had been ruled by the same party and actors since 1999.
“Lagos residents are beginning to realise that we cannot continue to source for our governorship candidate from one political party all the time and expect different results.
“In the last 23 years or 24 years, what does Lagos have to show for it? Lagos is not supposed to be where we are but should have gone far ahead in terms of infrastructural development and economy,” he said.
Meanwhile, he said that governing a commercial nerve centre like Lagos state required a broad-minded administrator in terms of experience, exposure and contacts.
According to him, happenings in the state and turnout during elections showed that residents were already tired of the ruling party.
Speaking on the possibility of getting the PDP governorship ticket, Dosunmu said he was optimistic.
“I am confident that I am going to win the ticket after we slug it out.
“Today, we have a party that is ready to win at the national level. The national body of PDP is determined to win elections in Lagos.
“We have party managers now that are ready to win the election,” he added.
If he clinched the party’s ticket and was elected the governor of Lagos State, Dosunmu vowed that he would turn things around positively.
On the increasing Lagos population, Dosunmu said that no one could stop people from migrating into the state. He posited that the only way to cope with the influx is an aggressive expansion of infrastructure.
NAN