The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said its victory in the recent Oyo State Assembly bye-election signals the return of the South-west geopolitical zone to the party.
The opposition party currently governs only Ekiti State in the region of six states.
The party, in a statement on Sunday, as usual, threw a punch at the ruling All Progressives Congress APC saying this (victory) is also an indicator of the “inescapable” fate that will befall it in the 2019 general election.
The PDP’s candidate, Debo Ogundoyin, won the Ibarapa East State Constituency by-election in Oyo State with 6,277 votes. He defeated Olukunle Adeyemo of the APC, who came second with 4,619 votes.
The by-election, which was held in 140 polling units in all of the 10 wards across the constituency was necessitated by the death of Michael Adeyemo, the occupant of the seat in the State House of Assembly, on April 27.
“The electoral success, which came in spite of the several machinations of the APC, further settles the fact that Oyo State and indeed, the South-west, remains PDP stronghold where our great party commands genuine followership and support of citizens at the grassroots.”
The party also said it believes with this victory, it is poised to rally with the people to retake Oyo State as well as “their original states” of Ogun, Osun, Ondo and even spread to Lagos State, after its “inevitable” victory in the forthcoming Ekiti governorship election.
The PDP urged its members in other parts of the country to leverage on “the support by Nigerians across the board to ensure such landslide victories at all levels of elections, come 2019”.
“The repositioned PDP, rallying with Nigerians, is set to retake all our original states, including Kaduna, Kano, Sokoto, Katsina, Jigawa, Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Benue, Nasarawa, Plateau, Kogi, Bauchi, Adamawa, Yobe, Edo, Imo and spread over to Zamfara and Borno.”
While congratulating its candidate, Mr Ogundoyin, the party charged him to reciprocate the support he got and properly represent the people.
“The PDP congratulates the flagbearer in the Oyo bye-election, Hon Adebo Ogundoyin, the people of Ibarapa east and all our leaders and members of our great party in Oyo State for their resilience and loyalty to the good cause.
“The party also charges Ogundoyin to reciprocate the support of the people by ensuring a people-oriented representation, in line with the ideology and manifesto of the PDP.
