The Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, had declared that the primary of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ondo State would be free, fair, and credible.

The primary of the main opposition party in the Sunshine State is currently going on in Akure, the state capital.

Ewhrudjakpo, who is the chairman of the Ondo PDP primary election committee said he was in the state to conduct a credible and transparent shadow election.

He said, “We are in Ondo State for the conduct of the PDP gubernatorial primaries, where we have seven aspirants and you know electoral rules require that for a candidate to emerge in any party, primaries should be conducted.

“Three forms are provided for in the Electoral Acts 2022, we have the direct, indirect, and consensus primaries. But here today, we are adopting the indirect primaries for which we are here.

“We expect about 627 delegates for the election and we are all set, all members of the panel are here, and the accreditation has started. So, we are prepared and the aspirants are in high spirits they have assured me that they would agree to work together for whoever emerges as the candidate.

“The problem of our party is how to get the power back from the APC that had been taken power from us for the past eight years. We expect a very transparent, free, fair, credible, and rancor free election and I have gotten the commitment of all the aspirants that they would abide by the outcome and we are going to make it as transparent as possible.

“You may be aware of my record that I was the one who conducted the primaries in Osun State and we won in Osun. I’m here again to conduct the Ondo State and by the grace of God, we are going to win because the sun of the last year is still the same of this year, so the rain will fall and the farmers would have good harvest.”

No fewer than seven aspirants are jostling to become the flagbearer of the party at the governorship election coming up in November this year.