FORMER Minister for Works, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe yesterday said that the Peoples Democratic Party in Lagos had no option than to field a candidate that could compete with the opposition party.

Addressing a press conference ahead of its governorship primaries slated for Dec. 8, Ogunlewe said that the “APC has shown us the way”.

He said “The APC picked a chartered accountant and a christian as its candidate from Lagos East Senatorial zone. The emergence of Ambode followed agitation for a christian governor and also by Lagos East that it was their turn to produce the next governor of Lagos.”

Besides, he said “the standard set for Lagos on the type of sophisticated professionals that any party should present makes it impossible for the PDP to go for less.”

While warning of dire consequences for the party if it fails to field the right candidate, he said “We cannot go back to the days of babylon where anything goes. We will come up with a candidate the people of Lagos can vote for.

The election is not for the party alone. Any party with victory in mind in a state like Lagos must present a candidate that is sell able”.

Ogunlewe, who urged delegates in the upcoming party’s primaries not to vote for aspirants with albatrosses on them, said “we must pick a candidate that people will have confidence in. We do not want to be arguing with voters.”

He, however, added that “the 2015 elections will not be based on political parties but on the personality presented by the party”.

He noted that politicking had changed in Nigeria and people now investigate and ask questions hence any party that does not think of the electorate would loose as party members constitute a minimal percentage of voters.

He assured that the party’s primaries would be free and fair to all the aspirants.