Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti
Senate Deputy Minority Whip, Senator Biodun Olujimi, has said that the defection of some stalwarts of Ekiti Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) over alleged dictatorial tendencies of Governor Ayodele Fayose, poses serious threat to the party ahead of the July 14
governorship poll.
Olujimi said, losing influential members to the All Progressives Congress(APC), Mega Party, Social Democratic Party and other
parties could affect the party’s chances in the upcoming poll.
Recently, former Deputy Governor Sikiru Lawal defected to Labour Party, Ex-Nigeria’s Ambassador to Canada, Amb Dare Bejide, joined SDP and former Minister of Works, Dayo Adeyeye, moved to African
Democratic Congress (ADC) with their supporters over irreconcilable
differences with the governor.
The senator and governorship aspirant , representing Ekiti South senatorial district, said the exodus was triggered by “one-man
dictatorship, oppression, hopelessness and totalitarianism in Ekiti PDP.â€
This position was contained in a press statement issued by the Biodun
Olujimi Team (BOT) at the end of its meeting at the weekend where the last PDP governorship primary was reviewed.
The group hailed Mrs. Olujimi for her courage to contest the PDP governorship primary in the face of an alleged “intimidation, threat
and in the name of achieving a predetermined result.â€
The senator described Fayose’s continuity agenda of having his deputy, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, as successor as a “continuity of slavery and servitude where members remain slaves in their own party.â€
She said: “We abhor and shall resist all forms of threat, oppression, victimisation and humiliation.
“We shall remain resolute, fearless and courageous in our demand for
internal democracy, justice, rule of law, fairness and equity within the PDP in achieving the ideals, aims and objectives which Senator Olujimi stands for.â€
She added : “We separated the real, fearless PDP owners from the coerced, appointed delegates who voted against their conscience for fear of being removed as councilors, council chairmen and vice chairmen, party executives and honorable members by their sole appointer and sole administrator as against the PDP constitution (as amended in 2017).
“It is saddening to note that, with the exception of the three-man ad
hoc delegates who were elected at their various wards, all others were
appointed at the pavilion inside the Government House on the mantra
that ‘wherever I go, you follow.’ We all forgot that Ekiti voters were the heroes of 16-0 in the 2014 election and not one man.
“Today, our party is depleted, unimaginably factionalised and fast drifting into despondency in Ekiti State. Several members of our party have defected to APC, SDP, ADP, Mega Party, among others as a result
of poor party administration and compulsory loyalty to one man, forgetting that a tree does make a forest.â€
