A former Managing Director of the defunct Alpha Merchant Bank, Jimi Lawal and governorship candidate on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State, Wednesday, sneaked out of the primaries of the party following an alleged manipulation of delegates list.

Consequently, a former member of House of Representatives, Ladi Adebutu emerged as another factional flag-bearer of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State for the forthcoming gubernatorial election in 2023.

It will be recalled that a former Spokesperson of Atiku Campaign Organisation, Segun Sowunmi emerged factional candidate (https://horizontimesng.com/ogun-2023-atiku-ex-spokesman-showunmi-emerges-pdp-guber-candidate-in-a-factional-congress/) at a primary held at NUJ Press Center, Iwe Iroyin, Abeokuta earlier on Wednesday.

But in a separate primary held at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Adebutu who once represented Remo North Federal Constituency at the green Chambers defeated three other contestants.

It was however observed that while national officers were at the OOPL venue of the primary that produced Adebutu, no national official was noticed at the parallel primary that produced Sowunmi.

It was also obsecred that ballot papers used at the OOPL primary had names and pictures of four aspirants on them, unlike what happend at the Iwe-Iroyin venue of the primary that produced Sowunmi.

Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commiccion, INEC, were also at the OOPL, same was not noticed at the Iwe Iroyin primary.

Announcing the result of the election late Wednesday night, the chairman of the electoral committee, Akase Sorkaa said Adebutu polled a total of 714 votes to defeat Segun Sowunmi, Jimi Lawal and Abimbola Abodunrin who all polled zero vote.

In his acceptance speech, Adebutu expressed satisfaction at the conduct of the exercise, saying he was happy with his election as the candidate of the party.

He added that other aspirants should team up with him in order to wrestle power from the ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC).

"We will continue to encourage the other aspirants, that this journey is for the sake of mankind, and the impoverish people of Ogun State. It is not for a particular person and it's the sacrifice that we need to all make.

"I believe that the other aspirants mean well, and will surely act in the good interest of Ogun State by coming into the fold so that we can do the job together", he added.

The primary was initially marred with violence with delegates loyal to Lawal arguing that the list had been tampered with.

In the ensuing disagreement, sporadic gunshots rented the venue of the primary such that delegates and party faithful had to scamper for safety while the officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, were also rescued from the scene.

Followers of Lawal had cried that the delegates list brought by the PDP electoral committee from Abuja had been doctored, alleging that it was not the same as the one certified by INEC.

But, with the insistence of the PDP Chairman in Ogun State, Sikirulahi Ogundele, the election was held using the delegates list from the party's national headquarters.

The decision did not go down well with Lawal and his supporters as they left the auditorium unannounced, refusing to participate in the primary election.