Crisis in Ekiti as top PDP members plan to dump Fayose, mass defection imminent

It seem the PDP in Ekiti State will have to endure a period of turbulence following the party’s defeat at the recently concluded governorship election and the imminent departure of Governor Ayo Fayose from office.

The issue in contention is the State House of Assembly primary election of the PDP, party members accuse Fayose of imposing his candidate on the party, they resist the attempt by the Party to return all current serving members of the Assembly unopposed.

To this end, some of them have decided to defect to the APC in large numbers accusing the national body of the party of not allowing democratic principles to take hold.

One of the aspirants told our correspondent in Ado Ekiti on Monday that those who fell prey of manipulation in PDP are mobilizing their members and considering dumping the party for the APC.

According to him, a top member of the NWC told him in the Party Secretariat at Wadata Plaza in Abuja that the party was under stringent instruction from the power brokers in Ekiti that only the incumbent should be allowed to emerge by consensus.

Those that were favored by the governor, according to him were: Hon Ayodeji Oladimeji, representing Ado/Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government, Hon Kehinde Agboola, representing Oye/Ikole Federal constituency I, Hon Thaddeus Aina, Ido/Moba/Ilejemeje Federal Constituency, Hon Segun Adekola , Ekiti Southwest/Ikere.Ise constituency.

He said only those that had fallen out with Fayose; Hons Ola Oni, representing Ijero/ Efon/Ekiti West and Akin Awodumila, representing Gbonyin/Emure/Ekiti East were to be replaced with those perceived to be loyal to the governor.

The aggrieved aspirant added that Oni was to be substituted with the name of the present Commissioner for Environment, Hon. Bisi Kolawole, on account of his defection to APC while Awodumila would be replaced by another person on account of old age and alleged ineptitude.

“We are keeping our strategies to our chests, we are making serious incursion into PDP and our efforts are gaining wider acceptability because of what our people have been reduced to.

“There is a big difference between being a supporter of someone or being a slave. Our party members in Ekiti have been reduced to slaves, this was not only pathetic but very unfortunate.

“We lost the July 14 election on account of arrogance. We lost to highhandedness because many party’s founding leaders like: Chief Clement Awoyelu, Dare Bejide, Dr Sikiru Lawal , Prince Dayo Adeyeye, Senator Ayo Arise, Ropo Adesanya , Hon. Gboyega Aribisogan , Sunday Akinniyi and many too numerous to mention left the party on account of despotism that has become the order of the day.

“It pained us that a party that just lost election could be doing this. We thought sanity will prevail but our Ekiti PDP has been deeply immersed in insanity. It is on this premise that we are considering pitching our tent with APC where we feel our rights and aspirations can be fulfilled and it is going to be in a matter of days”, he said.

But the PDP Publicity Secretary in Ekiti, Jackson Adebayo justified the disqualification, saying it was done in line with the party’s guidelines on eligibility for elective positions.

Adebayo, who responded to attempt by aggrieved aspirants to dump the party, said there was no justifiable reason for such since all the contestants were given the party’s guidelines regarding the positions and stipulated criteria for the seats.

“I don’t think we have problem with our primary in Ekt PDP. Our primaries for the Senate, House of Representatives and Assembly contests start from tomorrow till Thursday. Nobody was wrongly disqualified, it was done in line with our party’s guidelines.

“All the contestants were fairly screened. No favouritism at all regarding qualifications. It was purely done based on merit and eligibility. All the aspirants knew criteria for qualification and whoever fell victim didn’t meet the set criteria and not out of victimization”, Adebayo stated.