PDP Chairmanship Race: Fayose Calls on S’West Contenders to Reach Consensus

Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti

Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, has reiterated his position that those aspiring to be the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the South-west zone must come together and present a single candidate for the position.

He maintained that “it won’t be in the collective interest of the South-west zone to present six aspirants at the convention as we presently have.”

Fayose, while receiving one of the aspirants, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, who paid him a visit in Lagos yesterday, said: “Chairmanship aspirants from the South-west must come together and allow one person to fly the flag. It will be like crashing before take-off if we take six aspirants to the convention.”

Fayose urged Agbaje to pursue his aspiration with decorum and make sure that the PDP and Nigeria remained the major reasons for the aspiration and not personal interests, adding: “A situation where we have aspirants that already have president aspirants will not augur well for the party.”

“We held a meeting with other chairmanship aspirants last Monday, and it is expected that a follow up meeting will be held very soon. I urge you to attend the meeting so that we can forge a common front together. This is because the Southwest zone cannot go to the convention with these large number of aspirants as we now have and expect to win.

“Most importantly, as the only PDP governor in the South-west, I cannot be going round with all of you (aspirants) to solicit for support.”
Agbaje said he came to the governor to formally inform him of his decision to run for the PDP national chairmanship position.

“As the only PDP governor from the Southwest, I have come to formally inform Your Excellency that I will be seeking election as the National Chairman of our great party, the PDP.

“I am of the opinion that it will be inappropriate for you to get to know about my aspiration in the media, hence, my decision to come here and tell you formally,” Agbaje said.

While describing himself as “the best man for the job,” Agbaje said: “If not for what happened at the August last year’s convention, I would have clinched the chairmanship position then and I am confident that I will emerge as the chairman this time around.”

Agbaje, who promised to attend the next meeting with other aspirants from the South-west so as to jointly forge a common front, added that “there is no desperation in my aspiration, rather, it is the PDP that matters.”