Laide Raheem, Abeokuta

A former Commissioner for Information and Strategy, in Ogun State, Sina Kawonise, has faulted the delegate system of choosing  candidates by political parties in Nigeria, noting the system would always be fraught with corruption.

Kawonise stated this, on Sunday, at the formal declaration of his gubernatorial aspiration under the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), held at the party’s secretariat, in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

Kawonise, who served under the administration of Otunba Gbenga Daniel, pointed out that the system had always given room to the ‘highest bidder’ and ‘corrupt’ aspirants to eventually emerge as party candidates.

He, therefore, advocated the Option A4 system, to allow for more transparent, credible and non corrupt primaries.

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According to him, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) bastardised the delegate system in Nigeria by introducing money to induce delegates.

Kawonise, who recalled how the PDP in 2011 during its presidential primaries, spent a whooping sum of N4b, did not spare the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), which he claimed spent N3b during the governorship primaries that produced Governor Rotimi Akerodolu in Ondo State.

He, however, commended the leadership of SDP in the state for deemphasizing money politics, expressing confidence that the party will emerge winner in 2019.

On his plans, if elected governor, Kawonise mentioned human capital and economic capital development, establishment of ward development council and addressing the lopsidedness in project implementation in the state, as parts of his cardinal programmes.

In his remark, the state chairman of SDP, Kunle Majekodunmi, described the party as a party of true democrats.  He added the party would provide a level-playing ground for all the aspirants to ensure the emergence of credible candidates.