A former Governor of Ogun State, Gbenga Daniel, said he opted out of the senatorial election last year because the ticket was offered him with a price tag.
Mr. Daniel made the disclosure Wednesday at a social media forum known as PenPushing Platform.
He said he considered the price tag for the slot as immoral, in view of the fact that he expected to go to the senate to serve the people.
In the build up to the 2015 general elections, there had been speculations that Mr. Daniel, who was governor of the state at the time, was interested in running for the Ogun East senatorial district on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
A financier of the party, Buruji Kashamu, was, however, also interested in the seat. Mr. Buruji eventually won the election on the ticket of PDP.
Speaking on Wednesday, Mr. Daniel said he was not discouraged from seeking the party’s ticket until he was made to realise it would go to the highest bidder.
“I was offered the ticket at a price but I rejected it because I could not come to terms morally and in good conscience with purchasing a ticket to contest election to serve.
“Some people even tried to pay the price but I stopped them. Insiders are fully aware of these details. Just setting records straight with respects,” he stated.
Mr. Daniel claimed a “presidential delegation of PDP, led by Tony Anenih” was at his house in Sagamu to offer him the ticket.
“I voluntarily declined, as I was engaged to coordinate President Jonathan’s campaign in the SouthWest for PDP, while supporting most of our cheated candidates who went to PPN at that time”.
On the crisis in the PDP, the former governor said such development was also applicable to other parties, as no political party is immune to crisis.
“The crisis in the PDP in the build up to the 2011 election, which led to the change in the leadership of the party has been well documented in my memoirs ‘Daniel in the Lion’s Den’,” he said.
