Four Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirants in Ekiti State have urged the party’s national leadership to disqualify Governor Ayo Fayose from playing any role in its primary in April.
They said the National Working Committee (NWC), led by Prince Uche Secondus, should disqualify the governor for adopting his deputy, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, which they said amounted to imposition on party leaders and members.
The concerned aspirants told reporters in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, there was no time Olusola showed interest in ruling the state.
They accused the governor of imposing Olusola on the state, thereby causing the current indifference and exodus of leaders and members from the party.
They expressed the fear that the action may kill the PDP in the state.
The four aspirants, who addressed reporters are: former Minister of State for Works and immediate past PDP national spokesman, Prince Dayo Adeyeye; Senate Minority Whip and former deputy governor, Mrs. Biodun Olujimi; former Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and ex-High Commissioner to Canada, Ambassador Dare Bejide and a former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Owoseni Ajayi.
They also called for the dissolution of the state’s PDP executive committee, led by Mr. Gboyega Oguntuase, for allegedly betraying its neutrality, calling for the constitution of a caretaker committee in its stead.
Adeyeye said: “The candidate he (Fayose) has chosen for himself is not a person that can win an election in this state. When you display billboards and you are writing ‘Meet Your Next Governor’ on them, you are putting yourself in the position of God. That is very annoying.
“We will not leave the party for him because he sees himself as the all-in-all. But we know he is not the all-in-all. The governor, being an interested party, must be put in his place and no advantage should be accorded (Olusola) Eleka.”
Mrs. Olujimi said: “We have not come here to tear our party apart. All we are demanding for is a free and fair process that will lead to the emergence of a candidate.
“Can anybody who wants to win an election for PDP wish us away? If anybody wants to wish us away in the party, the consequences will be grave.
“The primary will be held in few months and nothing has changed. This (Fayose) was the same man who opposed the use of consensus when he was contesting the last time.”
Bejide said: “Section 50 (i), 50 (2) and 50 (2b) of the PDP constitution spells out how our candidate will be picked. Imposition, impunity and arbitrary action of a sitting governor is definitely ruled out and we will surely enforce the provision of the law.
“The governor and the State Working Committee (SWC) have no role to play except they are co-opted by the national leadership.”
Ajayi said: “The governor may claim that he has the right to support any aspirant of his choice, but the deputy governor has not come out to say he wants to be governor. What the deputy governor has said is that he wants to back to the university to continue lecturing. The governor is forcing the deputy governor on us.
“The so-called adoption was a fraudulent act, an illegal action. I want to tell you that 80 per cent of those working with him are with us. They are only working for the money they are earning.”