From Rasaq Ibrahim, Ado Ekiti
The factional Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) Elders Caucus in Ekiti State has endorsed the adoption of Mr. Bisi Kolawole by the former governor, Ayodele Fayose, as the chairmanship candidate for the forthcoming congress slated for April 2.
Apart from endorsement of Kolawole as the preferred chairmanship candidate, the elders also endorsed the candidature of Mr. Joseph Omolase as the preferred secretary.
The elders and stakeholders led by Fayose endorsed Kolawole during a meeting held at the home of Clement Awoyelu on Saturday, in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.
The Oguntuase-led State Working Committee of the party had dissociated itself from the alleged move by the elders and stakeholders led by the former governor to impose a consensus candidate ahead of the congress.
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However, reading a communique after the meeting, Chief Idowu Odeyemi said that the decision to endorse Kolawole was taken after extensive consultation and inputs from the party leaders across the 16 councils.
Odeyemi allayed the fear that what the elders have done amounted to an imposition, saying: “We have to say, however that this endorsement by the elders does not foreclose the right to participate, which means the race is still open.
“We have only expressed our right to endorse our preferred candidate, which means other group can also endorse their own as well”.
He said that the elders were aware that other groups within the party had also endorsed there preferred candidates. “We will meet them at the congress. We are not imposing candidate, we have only expressed our right. The party is one and after the congress we shall remain one”.
Reacting to the development, Fayose said he supported Bisi Kolawole, who had just been endorsed by the elders of the party, to move the party forward.
He said: “We are not doing this to score any point, we are only looking for somebody who can manage our party vis- a -vis the fact that we don’t have a sitting governor.
“By the grace of God, I am the only person that has served as governor that is still in this party. I am the only two term governor that is still in this party. It will amount to evil for any one to wish me away.
“You must equally remember that politics is about interest. Parts of the interest embedded in this congress is the governorship contest that is ahead.” So I wont blame anybody for doing what they did. But don’t forget that I told them when Adeyeye was contesting that it would end in the midst of nowhere and it happen like that.
“Adeyeye ended up in the APC and ended up out of APC. Some of them on the other side that are leading rebellion will go the same round. I have been the pillar and a major stakeholder in this party. I am not saying that I have the whole say, but the fact remains that I have given my best to this party.
” I want to assure you that I am not contesting. I don’t want to be governor, even if I want to be governor, I am no longer eligible. So I want us to do this contest without rancor, but the moment it is about rebellion, if you don’t have the numerical strength, you will lose.
“We are going to engage everybody in free and fair contest. We are not sharing any position, we want a contest and which ever way it goes, we will accept it”, he said.
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