Two Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirants in Ekiti State, Chief Dare Bejide and Mr. Owoseni Ajayi, have rejected the adoption of Prof. Kolapo Olusola as the party’s “sole candidate” by Governor Ayo Fayose and his loyalists. Fayose had at a event in the state capital picked his deputy as the PDP “consensus” candidate for next year’s governorship election in Ekiti.
The aspirants said Olusola’s adoption won’t pose any threat to their participation in the party’s governorship primary slated for first quarter of next year. Bejide, a former Nigerian High Commissioner to Canada, expressed optimism that he would win the party’s governorship ticket. According to him, nobody can impose a candidate on the party.
Ajayi, the immediate past Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, said the party’s delegates at the primary would determine the flag bearer. Bejide said: “Any caucus of the party can adopt any candidate. Whether the choice of Olusola by his caucus has Fayose’s backing hold no water as no one can impose a candidate on the party. This would not stop me from emerging the party’s governorship flagbearer in March 2018.”
Ajayi added: “The decision to conduct primary and determine who gets the party’s ticket belongs to the National Committee of the PDP. The emergence of Olusola would not affect my decision to run for the ticket of our great party.”
Meanwhile, the Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Caretaker Committee, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, on Wednesday described the choice of Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, as the party’s candidate for the 2018 governorship election as a “charade and attempt to impose a stooge.”
Adeyeye said adoption of Olusola by a section of the party as “the sole candidate” for next year’s poll was “a clear breach of the PDP constitution and the Electoral Act.” He said it was wrong for Governor Ayo Fayose’s appointees and few House of Assembly members to deny delegates opportunity to elect a candidate. The former Minister of State for Works said the adoption of the deputy governor contravened Section 50 (1), Section 50 (2) and Section 50 (2b) of the PDP constitution as amended in 2012.
In a statement signed on his behalf by the Director of Media, Prince Adedayo Adeyeye Movement (PAAM), Mr. Niyi Ojo, the governorship aspirant implored party members and the general public to ignore what he called “the purported adoption of Olusola as a sole candidate.”
It reads: “The attention of PAAM has been drawn to the charade that took place at the Government House this afternoon by some political appointees, councillors and few House of Assembly members allegedly adopting Prof. Olusola as their consensus/sole candidate for 2018 gubernatorial election. This is a clear breach of the party constitution and the Electoral Act.
“The body is unknown to the PDP constitution; it is important to note that PDP is bigger and larger than an individual so the rules and regulations of the party are sacrosanct in the election of any candidate for elective position. PAAM believes in credible, transparent, free and fair primary for all aspirants for the position of governorship come 2018. PAAM rejects the purported adoption of a sole candidate in its entirety as there are many other aspirants for the governorship race in 2018.
“This gathering was organised and supervised by Governor Fayose to impose a stooge as the sole candidate for PDP in Ekiti State. We implore members of the public and our teeming supporters to disregard the purported adoption of Prof. Olusola as a sole candidate.”
The Nation
