Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti
A governorship aspirant in Ekiti State, Mr. Kola Alabi, has said the
party will respect the leadership guide of Senator Bola Tinubu, in selecting a credible candidate that can defeat the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) in the 2018 governorship poll.
Alabi said the South-west since Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s days had always believed and respected regional leadership, saying the former Lagos State governor deserves to be carried along to appreciate his contributions to political and human capital development of the region.
Alabi, however, clarified that the guide expected from Tinubu is to
ensure a conduct of a free, fair and credible primary that will
produce a sellable candidate based on the principle of zoning, to
inject equity , justice and fair play into Ekiti politics.
He said this in Ikere Ekiti yesterday while declaring his
governorship ambition in his family’s compound at Afao Quarters.
At the ceremony, over 500 members of the PDP defected to APC in Afao on account of Alabi’s contributions to scholarship and infrastructural upliftments of Ikere township .
He said: “We believe in Asiwaju Tinubu’s leadership. He worked hard
to earn it. But I know that being a leader he will support a popular
candidate to fly our party’s flag rather than impositionâ€, he said.
Alabi said the party can only win the 2018 governorship elections if
the primary is transparent and if zoning is embraced .
“What is fair is fair. The North senatorial district had produced
former governors Segun Oni and Dr. Kayode Fayemi . The Central produced Niyi Adebayo and Mr. Ayodele Fayose, so the time for the south to have its own share of the governorship seat is 2018 if truly we are all Ekitisâ€.
Alabi added that he was not rattled by the adoption of the Fayose’s
deputy, Prof Kolapo Olusola, an indigene of Ikere Ekiti as the
candidate of the PDP.
“I am neither disturbed nor rattled by his adoption if given my
party’s ticket for the election. This election is going to be
strength for strength and antecedents for antecedents.
“Ikere electorate will vote based on what the two of us have been able
to do in the past for the people. I have made my impacts felt in
scholarship awards even before now. I have intervened in paying the
town’s electricity bill when disconnected by BEDC. I purchased a
transformer for Afao quarters and also contributed in every Ikere
Day. All these will form the people’s opinions to decide who to vote
for between me and Prof Olusola.
“They talked of the ongoing dualisation in Ikere, well it is a good
project but it is also our right. Governor Fayose did not do it with
his personal money but with the state’s fund.
“So, the question to ask Prof Olusola is that, what has he done in his
personal capacity to contribute to this town? This is the only way he
can get our votesâ€, he said.
