Ekiti Guber: PDP Faction Produces Consensus Candidate to Tackle Fayose’s Man, Oni

Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti

As the 2022 governorship gathers momentum in Ekiti State, a group under the aegis of Ekiti People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Repositioning Movement has produced Mr. Lateef Ajijola, an architect, as a consensus candidate that would confront other aspirants in the primaries.

Former state Governor, Ayodele Fayose, had anointed former state House of Assembly member and the current state Chairman of the party, Hon. Bisi Kolawole, as his preferred candidate, while Segun Oni has declared interest for the position on the platform of the PDP.

At a shadow election conducted in Ado Ekiti yesterday, Ajijola polled a total of 50 votes to defeat former governorship aspirant, Yinka Akerele, and ex-Deputy Governor, Dr. Sikiru Lawal, who polled 26 and four respectively.

Announcing the outcome of the shadow poll, the Chairman of the Repositioning Movement Electoral Committee, Hon. Aderogba Agbaje, revealed that a total of 81 automatic delegates drawn across the 16 local government areas of the state voted in the exercise that produced Ajijola.

Agbaje, a two time chairman of Efon Local Government Area, said: “We conducted this shadow election to ensure proper democratic process in our primary. Before now, it has always been a one-man show, which we detested, so we want to bring the party back to the people.

“Our loss in the last governorship election was as a result of a governor not conceding to free and fair primary. We formed this group two years ago under the leadership of Senators Biodun Olujimi and Duro Faseyi, who are collegiate leaders.

“We want to have one candidate that will be formidable enough to face other candidates. We don’t want to copy those who handpicked candidates.

“81 out of 94 automatic delegates belonging to this group turned up. We adopted open secret ballot devoid of fraud and manipulations. The party had about 145 automatic delegates and 94 out of them are members of the repositioning group, so we are solid in PDP.

“The aspirants had signed undertaking before that no one would betray whatever decision taken. That was our joint decision. They will be working together. We are like a crusade and what happened in the past when one person controlled us won’t happen again.”

Applauding other contestants for conceding defeat, Ajijola said: “I thank God for making this a reality. We are of the same group, and I consider my victory as ‘No Victor No vanquished’. We knew that one person would emerge. It is for the progress of the group and the PDP.”