The battle to oust the incumbent governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is becoming fierce as the party has lined up an array of political heavy weights for the battle ahead of the 2015 election.

The people of the gateway state are anxiously watching to see who the umbrella party would present to face the incumbent governor.

From the credentials of all the eleven governorship aspirants of the PDP, there is no doubt that they all have the pedigree to challenge Amosun at the poll.

By Daud Olatunji

ALHAJI Sarafa Tunji Ishola

He was the Minister of Power and Steel during late President Umar Musa Yar’adua administration between July 2007 and October, 2008 and former Secretary to Ogun State Government during Otunba Gbenga Daniel’s tenure (2003 and 2007).

Speaker House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole

He is a grassroot politician who started as Chairman of Abeokuta North Local Government Area (1997-1998) and later Special Assistant to the Minister of State for Finance (1999-2003).

It would be recalled that he had first expressed his ambition to govern the state in 2009 when he joined the governorship race for the 2011 election but could not secure the party’s ticket because of the zoning to Yewa division of Ogun State by the party. He is in the race again .

Hon. Dimeji Bankole

He is a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, who lost his bid to contest for the third term as the representatives of the people of Abeokuta South Federal Constituency in 2011 .

He is also eyeing Amosun’s job. He is leveraging on his last position as the former number four citizen in Nigeria.

Being the son of a powerful Egba Chief, he is believed to be enjoying a very cordial relationship with the Alake of Egbaland. He is now an aspirant from Ogun Central, the same place, the governor comes from. His candidacy, according to some political analysts would give Amosun good run for his money.

Gboyega Nasir Isiaka: He is popularly known as GNI by the people, Prince Isiaka who also hails fromYewa, Imeko Afon to be precise once contested the governorship post under the platform of PPN in 2011 but came third and eventually lost to Governor Ibikunle Amosun.

He is a former Managing Director of Gateway Holdings. Being a first class chartered accountant from the Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, he is said to be the best brains from Yewa division of Ogun State.

His being a product of Ogun West, the region that had never produced a governor since the 38 years existence of the state is an added advantage. His ability to warm himself into the minds of some leaders of the party shortly after he returned to the party also gave him an edge.

Hon Kayode Amusan: He is a two-term member of the House of Representatives between 2003 and 2011. He first made known his desire to govern the state towards the end of his tenure as a federal lawmaker in 2010, but because the PDP has zoned the governorship ticket to Yewa, he quickly joined the race for the senate which he also lost.

Amusan is an Egba-born politician who is also jostling for the governorship ticket of the PDP again. Whether he will get the ticket or not, political observers are watching, believing that Amusan could spur a surprise if he is allowed to test his popularity, owing to to the fact that he is said to have penetrated some of the delegates.

Hon Isiaq Akinlade: This is another federal lawmaker in the struggle for the governorship ticket of the PDP. He is one of the longest serving members of the House of Representatives, having been representing his people of Yewa South/Ipokia Federal Constituency since 2003 till date.

He was in PDP in 2003 but later defected to the then Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, with the hope that the party would zone the governorship ticket to Yewa . When ACN gave the ticket to Amosun he opted for the House of Representatives and won.

Realising again that Amosun will want to contest for a second term and with crisis already rocking the party, he returned to the PDP for the purpose of realizing his gubernatorial ambition come 2015.

Dr. Yomi Majekodunmi

A seasoned banker and brilliant administrator, is from the Majekodunmi dynasty of Abeokuta. He is a former Chief of Staff to Governor Gbenga Daniel, during the latter’s second term in office between 2007 and 2011.

Majekodunmi is an Egba chief that is also in the race, hoping to get the PDP ticket to confront the incumbent governor in the 2015 general election.

However, his decision to join the gubernatorial race against Amosun was said to have been facilitated by his former boss, who reportedly saw the leadership trait in him.

Engineer Tony Ojesina: He is a former Commissioner for Environment during Governor Gbenga Daniel’s first term between 2003 and 2007.

He is also in the governorship race. His decision to govern the state was reported to have been sanctioned by God, who he said had told him that he is the next governor of the state.

He is from Owu-Egba that is said to be making efforts to confront Amosun, his Owu brother. Would he make it to the primaries? This is a big question as the party holds its primaries very soon.

Alhaji Rafiu Ogunleye: This is a former Deputy Governor during Chief Olusegun Osoba’s first administration between 1992 and 1993 , he is also in the race. He is an Ijebu man and one of the aggrieved members of the ACN who left when the internal crisis between Amosun and Osoba’s factions of the party deepened and solution to the crisis could not be found.

Meanwhile, other aspirants who are frontliners in the race Omoba Segun Adewale, a Yewa man, Remilekun Bakare, a game changer, who is a political godson of former governor Aremo Segun Osoba.