The Independent National Electoral Commission has fixed November 16 for the upcoming Ondo governorship election while the party slated its primary for April 25.
No fewer than seven chieftains of the party are aspiring to clinch the ticket of the party.
Alabere spoke at a one-day seminar for media aides of PDP governorship aspirants in Ondo held in Akure the state capital on Wednesday.
He lamented that the PDP always lost an election in the state as a result of members waging war against one another during elections, calling on the members to embrace unity and go into the forthcoming governorship election with one voice.
The chairman said, “The main reason for this programme is to tell you that the PDP is the only party in Ondo State. I must tell you that I don’t see the PDP as an opposition party in the state because we’re supposed to be in government.
“It is the PDP itself that usually works against the party when it comes to elections. We will divide ourselves after the primary and do other sorts of things.
“In 2019, I was the senatorial chairman for South, and Dr Eddy Olafeso can testify to the fact that after the primary, members of the party in the South worked together because there was unity. We made sure that all the differences among the aspirants were resolved.
“Even when the APC was governing the state in 2019, after the election, out of four National Assembly positions, we got three. We got that results because there was unity.”
He warned the media aides against pulling down other aspirants while promoting their principals, particularly on social media, saying this might cause disaffection between the winner of the primary and other aspirants in the main election.
“The roles all of you are playing today are not geared towards bringing the aspirants together. What you write on social media platforms is not geared towards strengthening the party. If aspirant A should win the primary, he will need the support and cooperation of the aspirants. But, the moment you come in between your principal and other aspirants, will they be ready to support him when he wins the primary? So, you have a major role to play in uniting the party.
“I want to advise you to conserve the energy you are putting into bringing down co-aspirants with your principal against APC. You didn’t see anything wrong in what APC is doing in Ondo State? The major reason any political party is contesting an election is to win and this is the best opportunity for us in this state. We are more than APC in Ondo State. I want to plead with you to see this project ( winning the governorship election) as your project,” he added.
The PUNCH reports that the PDP has screened and cleared seven aspirants for the governorship primary.
The aspirants include a former Deputy Governor in the state, Mr Agboola Ajayi, a former Secretary General of the pan-Yoruba socio-political association, Chief Olusola Ebiseni, a former member of the House of Representatives, Mr Kolade Akinjo, a former Commissioner for Information, Mr John Mafo, Mr Adeolu Akinwumi, Mr Bamidele Akingboye and Bosun Arebuwa.
