Mr. Ayodele Fayose, ex- governor of Ekiti and Senate Minority Leader
Biodun Olujimi have heightened hostility and inaugurated parallel
campaign councils for the PDP’s Presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku
Abubakar.
Ayo Fayose and Biodun Olujimi |
The ex-Governor, in his capacity as the South West Coordinator of the
Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP’s) campaign, inaugurated the council
members in Ado Ekiti, in line with list of names reportedly approved by
the national secretariat of the party.
On her part, Olujimi, representing Ekiti South Senatorial District at
the National Assembly, at a different location, in Ado Ekiti
inaugurated a parallel council, accusing Fayose of greed and
manipulation of the list for pecuniary reasons.
In a petition to Uche Secondus, the party chairman, she accused
Fayose of hijacking the council and injecting his cronies in all
strategic positions with a view to side-lining other members of the
party from participating in mobilising for the PDP presidential
candidate during the election.
This, she said, was contrary to the list agreed by party stakeholders
and therefore, urged the National Working Committee (NWC) to disband
and reconstitute the council in the interest of all in the forthcoming
elections.
Olujimi asked Secondus to compel Fayose to adhere strictly to the
resolution reached by stakeholders on the composition of the council at a
stakeholders’ meeting in Ado-Ekiti on December 28, 2018 to forestall
crisis in the party ahead of the polls.
NAN reports that while the Olujimi inauguration took place at the
Ajilosun area of the state capital and was attended by members of the
party loyal to her, Fayose’s inauguration on the other hand, took place
at his former campaign office in Adebayo area of the state capital, now
renamed ” Atiku/Obi campaign office”.
The former governor while inaugurating his version of the campaign council, described Olujimi’s effort a nullity.
He warned that he might use his position, to mobilise the people to
vote out those he described as ‘traitors’ in the coming election.
Olujimi is seeking re-election to the Senate in the election slated for March.
“They need me more than I need them, because in my own case, I have
got nothing to lose as I am not contesting any elective position. We
will ask our people to vote against these betrayers “, he said.
According to the former governor, the campaign council was carefully
selected in agreement with the National Secretariat of the party, to
represent all shades of opinion in the state PDP, wondering what the
complaint about greed was all about.
In his remarks the Chairman of the campaign council for Fayose’s camp
and former Deputy Governor, Prof Kolapo Olusola also distanced himself
from the Olujimi campaign group.
Olusola said that the Olujimi Council was illegitimate.
“There is no alternative campaign council except this one. Any other
campaign council where my name appears outside the one inaugurated by
our leader, the governor, is illegal”.
The state PDP chairman, Mr Gboyega Oguntuase said the Fayose -led Council is the only legitimate body recognised by Abuja.
“This is the only legitimate gathering where authority resides. Any
other gathering is illegal and illegitimate but we shall not be
provoked”, Oguntuase said.
NAN reports that Olujimi, at the inauguration of her campaign council
said that injustice breeds impunity adding that if the party
stakeholders met and selected people, no individual, including Fayose,
has the right to void same.
She said though she was not a party to the selection of the campaign council, she has the right to continue with the assignment.
” Those appointed have started work, they have even written letters to the state government for the release of the Stadium
” They were supposed to have been inaugurated on January 3rd. Suddenly everything changed and Fayose tinkered with the list.
“Why we are here is that we are saying that we cannot shift the goal
post in the middle of the game. We are standing by the original list”,
she said.
NAN reports that the two inaugurations were well attended by
chieftains of the party from the Senate, State House of Assembly, House
of Representatives and former Local Government Chairmen.
No comments:
Post a Comment