Ahead of the governorship election in Ondo State, the Peoples Democratic Party has asked its aspirants jostling for its governorship ticket to do away with division and embrace unity to win the forthcoming poll.  

The call came as the opposition party prepared for its governorship primary scheduled for April 20.

The state chairman of the PDP, Tola Alabere,  gave the charge during a one-day seminar organised for the media aides to the party’s governorship aspirants held in Akure. 

Mr Alabere, who lamented how long the PDP had been out of power in the state, noted that a divided opposition party cannot win an election. 

“Our problem is that we always work against one another during the election. Why the division, it leads us nowhere.  This time round we need to work in unity. The role we should be playing now is to see how to bring members of the party and aspirants together,” he said at the seminar on Wednesday. 

Explaining that party members have a major role to play in the forthcoming election, Mr Alabere, added that the people were already yearning to have the PDP back in government. 

The state chairman said the party had been planning a return to power and pleaded with members to remain good ambassadors, stressing that they must not thwart the effort of the leaders. 

“I must tell you that, I don’t see PDP as an opposition party in the state (Ondo) because ordinarily we are supposed to be in government. So, you should see the wrong in APC and not your own party (PDP). Ours is to win this forthcoming governorship election and not to lose it.

“We should be an instrument of peace and do not forget we have been out of power for years in the state and if not for the support of our leaders, we will not have PDP in this state again.”

Mr Alabere also admonished the aides to the governorship aspirants to use their pen in promoting the party ahead of the coming poll.  

He added that whatever they write on social media platforms should be geared towards strengthening the aspirants and the party in winning the election. 

The spokesman for the party, Kennedy Peretei, said the purpose of the seminar was to unite members – especially the aides and aspirants ahead of the party primary. 

The immediate past vice national chairman of the PDP, Eddy Olafeso, said he was confident that the party would return to power in the forthcoming election of the state. 

Mr Olafeso had earlier lamented how the APC-led government of President Bola Tinubu had been inflicting pains on Nigerians with its anti-people policies and programmes.