By Gabriel Enogholase
Grassroots politician and former chairman of Esan North East Local Government, Mr. John Yakubu, has emerged as the consensus running mate to the PDP candidate, Pastor Ize-Iyamu.
The decision on Yakubu was taken weekend, in Benin at a meeting of party elders with Ize-Iyamu in attendance.
It would be recalled that the PDP had earlier zoned the position of the running mate of its governorship candidate to the Edo Central district.
Among those in attendance at the meeting were notable politicians from the Edo Central district, who had been touted as likely running mates such as Friday Itulah, Hon Akhere Ugbesia, Hon Felix Akhabue, Barrister (Mrs) Philomena Ihenyen, Felix Imosili and Yakubu himself.
Also, present at the meeting were the state chairman of the party, Dan Orbih and leaders of the party across the three senatorial zones of the state.
It was gathered that a consensus agreement was reached to pick Yakubu as the running mate as the majority of the leaders of the party endorsed his candidacy.
Yakubu, a popular local government chairman, stirred controversy when his bid for a second term ran into trouble in 2012. The PDP claimed that the state administration annulled his victory and caused the election results to be announced in Benin when the results were showing him to be winning the Esan North East chairmanship election. The results of the election which returned the candidate of the then Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN were eventually upheld by the tribunal.
Vanguard News
