Many concerned stakeholders had entertained fears that the party may not be unable to wriggle out of the logjam arising from the battle for its governorship ticket for the forthcoming general elections.
But, it was not to be.
The event ended with the emergence of former Senate Leader Teslim Folarin as the standard-bearer of the PDP for the governorship contest at the end of proceedings at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Ibadan, the state capital.
Observers were not surprised at his emergence, having always seen the light pointing towards his direction since 2012.
The journey to last Monday's success actually began in 2010, when he was roped into the circumstances surrounding the death of the then kingpin of the Oyo State chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Alh. Lateef Salako (aka Elewe omo).
The unionist was stabbed to death in a location within Ona-Ara Local Government where Folarin hails from. He was arrested and arraigned for allegedly having a hand in the gruesome killing of the late commercial driver.
Folarin was also detained on the charges, though he was the Senate Leader at the time.
But, many keen followers of Oyo politics believed that the Senator was being persecuted for his ambition to succeed the then Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala in the 2011 election.
Owing to his detention, he was unable to contest the election; a development that was an accomplished mission for Alao-Akala.
But, Folarin came into the limelight within the PDP when he moved the motion earlier in 2010, urging the Senate to adopt the doctrine of necessity to allow the then Vice President Goodluck Jonathan to be sworn in as Acting President, following ill-health of his boss, Umaru Musa Yar'Adua. His motion was adopted, leading to the swearing in of Jonathan as President.
For that singular act, Folarin sowed a seed, which he has been reaping within the corridors of power at the Presidency. His first harvest came early in 2011, when the Senate rose in his support and prevailed on the Presidency to secure his release. It worked like magic.
His 2010 heroic motion had paved the way for him to realise his ambition of picking the party's ticket in 2011, but for the murder charge.
Aside enjoying the sympathy of Senate President David Mark and other active participants in that historic event at the National Assembly,
Folarin also has a robust relationship with some leaders of the party at the national level. All these worked together for the success of the former Senate Leader last Monday.
Thus, it was easy for him to hijack the leadership of the party in the state in 2012, after Alao-Akala left office.
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