The crisis rocking the Ekiti state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) took another twist on Saturday as five governorship aspirants rejected the process of the ad-hoc ward congress to elect three delegates in each of the 177 wards for the primary election ahead of the June 18 governorship poll.
The aspirants, former governor, Segun Oni; lawmaker representing Ekiti south, Senator Biodun Olujimi; former deputy governor, Professor Kolapo Olusola; former national treasurer of the party, Wale Aribisala and Lateef Ajilola described the congress as a charade and unacceptable.
The aspirants who jointly addressed journalists in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital said the congress aimed at producing delegates for the January 26 primaries was compromised in favour of the group loyal to the former governor, Ayo Fayose.
Oni who was flanked by other aspirants expressed regretted that the materials sent to the 177 wards were allegedly hijacked, describing the situation as worrisome and would not have expected such act to be happening in the PDP.
Oni said, “What you have seen today is laughable. And this is the standard we still are as a country. It is very unfortunate. There is nothing we can do other than to complain formally. We went upstairs and also told the acting Chairman of the ward congress panel. I believe we cannot have democracy by hijack. If anybody is a muscle man, he should apply the muscle to winning people for the party.
“We would believe the party will take a look at what has happened. This is very unfortunate but we hope the party will find a way out of it.
“Before today, we were getting it right. We were talking across all divides and we believe we would end up together but what has happened today has shown that there is a big problem. Let me sound it that we politicians are testing the will of the people too much.
“If anybody thinks he is a muscle man who can wrestle the process out of the grip of the people, let him wait for them. And I believe they will wait for him at an appropriate corner. We must all join hands to rescue this country from this type of politics.”
On her part, Senator Olujimi lamented that the scenario which happened in 2020 during ward congress which led to the factionalization of the party in the last two years was allowed to be repeated again.
According to her, “As for me, this a repeat of the 2020 ward congress and this is how it was on March 2020 and that is what we have been fighting up till now and repeated itself. Everything was hijacked, the committee compromised and it is a charade.“
The former deputy governor, Olusola-Eleka while describing the entire process as a charade, said, “It is quite unfortunate that an event we started with great hopes, that things will be done properly ended up what I can described as complete charade. All the materials were diverted across the state and I think the national leadership should take a look at the activities of those sent to conduct this congress because it is not acceptable,” Eleka said.
The former national treasurer, Aribisala said, “There is no election anywhere because the team from Abuja has been compromised and we are not going to accept it. As I speak now, the Fayose group are writing the results at a popular location . If you think you are popular, things should be done properly.”
On his part, Ajijola noted that, ” There is no congress in Ekiti today, our people are in their various wards waiting for the officials of the party , including INEC officials waiting for the exercise but unfortunately, the materials have been hijacked by Fayose group. I reject any purported outcome of the congress, if they show up with any results at the end of the day.”
However, the secretary of the congress committee, Kola Ologbondiyan, who debunked the allegations, said the committee didn’t bend the rules to favour any of the factions, saying the accreditation and distribution of materials were done in the presence of all the aspirants.
The former PDP National Publicity Secretary, said, “What we have done is in line with the directives we have been given from Abuja. We did distribution of materilas in the presence of the aspirants. The aspirants would have to wait for the appeal committee if they have issues with the conduct of the congress. Our men are on the field, so we will act on all they give to us. PDP is a democratic party and if they have issues, we have internal mechanism to settle all our differences.
“It is not our responsibility to go and monitor congress. The spirants brought two agents each to supervise the accreditation and distribution processes. They were part of the meeting where accreditation was done. As we speak no report has been given to us. PDP is a family and we have the mechanism to settle our differences.”
