PDP can’t win with Fayose, aspirants tell party

Thirteen aggrieved governorship aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ekiti State have said that the party should forget about winning the state if the leadership of the party ratifies former Governor, Ayo Fayose, as its candidate in the governorship election of June 21.

Senator Gbenga Aluko, who spoke through the Director-General of his campaign organisation, Mr. Tunji Olatunde, said this in an interview with our correspondent on Sunday.

Another aggrieved aspirant, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, also said the same thing in a statement made available to our  correspondent in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital.

The 13 aggrieved aspirants had dragged the party to court over Fayose and boycotted the primary election, which  Fayose eventually won.

The DG of the Aluko  Campaign Organisation ruled out the possibility of his principal defecting to another political party. He also said that Aluko had held discussion with the other 12 aggrieved aspirants and they all  agreed that they would not move away from the PDP.

Olatunde said, “The PDP cannot win Ekiti State with Fayose and I am sure they know it.

“Some party members even called Aluko to find out if the PDP is serious about winning back the states in the South-West. But we are appealing to them to be calm.

“We are calling on the President to intervene. We know that President Goodluck Jonathan is not around but he needs to act fast. The so-called primary was a fraud.  But we are not going to any party because we are stakeholders in the PDP. Senator Aluko has also talked with other aspirants and they all said that  they would not defect.”

Adeyeye, in the statement, described the primary poll as a fraud, which could not stand. He called on Jonathan to intervene in the crisis now.

He said that Fayose had connived with the delegates from Abuja to perpetrate electoral fraud. He said the PDP could not win the election proper with a candidate like Fayose.

According to him, many critical stakeholders in the PDP shunned the primary because they knew it was a fraud.

Adeyeye said, “It should be clear to discerning minds that what happened in Ekiti State on Saturday was a charade and it cannot stand. It will only be allowed to stand if the intention of our party leaders in Abuja is not for the PDP to win the June 21, 2014 election.

“Giving the enthusiasm of the PDP members in  the Ekiti State for the upcoming election, discerning minds should be worried by the number of delegates that participated in the primary, which was slightly above 50 per cent.

“It will be unthinkable for a party like the PDP, which is being looked up to by the entire people of Ekiti, to believe that the June 21 election can be won with a candidate, who emerged through a so-called primary election that was shunned by major stakeholders of the party. In short, the last Saturday charade was rejected by 75 per cent of the party office holders in Ekiti State.

“Since that Saturday charade, the morale of the Ekiti people, who had hoped that the PDP would rescue them from the misrule of the present government in the state, has waned. The people are dejected, they are openly expressing their disappointments in our party, and unless something is done urgently, it is unlikely that the Ekiti people will forgive us for dashing their hopes.

“Therefore, if June 21 is not going to be just about sharing election funds and producing just a candidate that will not be elected as governor, our leaders in Abuja, especially the national leader, President Goodluck Jonathan should intervene now.”

PUNCHNG