Abiodun Nejo
18 January 2022
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A group of Peoples Democratic Party governorship aspirants in Ekiti State on Monday, staged a protest at the Dallimore Junction in Ado Ekiti, in continuation of their rejection of Saturday’s ward congress to elect three ad hoc delegates in each of the 177 wards in the state.
The aspirants, including a former governor, Segun Oni; National Assembly member, Senator Biodun Olujimi; a former governorship aspirant, Yinka Akerele; and former senatorial aspirant, Lateef Ajijola, took turns to accuse the National Working Committee Congress Committee of allegedly doctoring the congress to favour Fayose’s anointed aspirant, Bisi Kolawole.
There was a heavy traffic jam on the road as the aspirants and their placards-carrying supporters who massed on the road seized the opportunity to appeal to the Iyorchia Ayu-led NWC to cancel the congress which they allegedly did not hold.
Olujimi alleged that the exercise was shrouded in secrecy, insisting that the congress result being bandied about was a mere concoction.
She said, “There was no ad hoc ward congress and we want absolute cancellation. What really happened was that one person hijacked all the materials and went to write all the lists. If you hijacked the materials and you are writing the names of the delegates, then, you will surely face the consequences.”
“It is not about me; it is about our party and future. What is important is fairness and justice. In any place where there is no fairness and justice, peace will be elusive. So, all the peace agreement has been broken. When you broke the peace agreement, what do you expect us to do? Fold our arms? No, we won’t”, she stated.
Olujimi, who warned that the development if allowed to persist would be a threat to the victory of the party in the poll, said, “There is need to listen to the people of Ekiti. The party must do the needful. They must call a meeting. And the meeting must be a meeting of truth. Without that, the poll here would be very tough for our party”.
But the Bisi Kolawole Campaign Organization cautioned the PDP governorship aspirants against a campaign of calumny against the party leadership over the ad hoc delegates’ congress, saying, “Rather than going about spreading falsehood and engaging in a conspiracy against the leading aspirant, Otunba Bisi Kolawole, the aspirants should use the appeal committee to ventilate their grievances.”
This was contained in a statement by the Director of Media, Lere Olayinka, titled, “Ekiti 2022: Kolawole campaign organization cautions PDP aspirants against the campaign of calumny over ad hoc delegates’ congress.”
Olayinka stated, “We wish to draw the attention of the National Chairman of our party, the PDP, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, to the falsehood being propagated by some aspirants in Ekiti State, who are obviously expressing the usual frustration of impending losers.
“We naturally should not have joined issues with them, because we were not responsible for their decision to stay in Ado Ekiti instead of going to their various wards for the congress, but it has become important that we put the records straight.”