A former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Lagos State, Dr. Ade Dosunmu, says only credible and less acrimonious primary elections will make PDP win the 2023 governorship election in Lagos 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 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 are able to do that this time around in a less acrimonious way, and we are able to come together after primaries to face APC, the result will be different,” Dosunmu said.
The PDP chieftain, who noted that the party meant well for the state, said Lagos State had not made progress commensurate to its available resources.
He said that this was because the state had been ruled by the same party and actors since 1999.
“Lagos residents are beginning to realise the fact 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.
He said that governing a commercial nerve centre of a country like Lagos state required a broad-minded administrator in terms of experience, exposure, and contacts.
Dosunmu said that happenings in the state and turnout during elections showed that residents were already tired of the ruling party.
On the possibility of getting the PDP governorship ticket, Dosunmu said he was optimistic.
“We will slug it out and I am confident that I am going to win the ticket.
“Today, we have a party that is really 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 really ready to win the election,” Dosunmu, the Lagos PDP governorship candidate in 2011 said.
He said that if he clinched the party’s ticket and was elected the governor of Lagos State, he had the capacity to turn things around positively.
On the increasing Lagos population, Dosunmu said that no one could stop people migrating into the state.
He said that the only way to cope with the influx was the aggressive expansion of infrastructure.
