Another crisis may rock the Ekiti State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), ahead of the 2022 governorship and 2023 general elections as members rejected the party’s House of Representatives candidate imposed by former Governor Ayodele Fayose.
The division in the party is said to be more remarkable in Ekiti South Senatorial District as members of the party in Ekiti South federal constituency 1 protested against the alleged moves by the former governor to impose the party’s House of Representatives candidate on the constituency.
The Ekiti South Federal Constituency 1 is comprised of Ikere Ekiti, Ise/Orun and Ekiti South West Local Government Areas as members claimed that the ticket to be zoned to Ikere, having the remaining two local government areas served the position for more than 8 years.
According to the calculation by protesters said that the current occupant of the seat, Hon Yemi Adaramodu, who is from Ekiti South West Local Government Area, made the Local Government occupant seat for 12 years in the consecutive position.
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Hon Francis Aladejebi (Ikere Ekiti, 1999-2003: 4 years );
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Hon Titi Akindahunsi (Ise/Orun, 2003 -2011: 8 years);
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Hon Ife Arowosoge ( Ekiti South West, 2011-2015: 4 years);
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Hon Segun Adekola (Ekiti South West, 2015 -2019: 4 years);
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Hon Yemi Adaramodu (Ekiti South West, 2019 -2023: 4 years) .
The members alleged that the former governor has concluded plans to impose a former member of the House of Representatives, Segun Adekola for second term who also hails from Ekiti South West Local Government Area.
The spokesman of the protesting party members, Kola Adewole noted that the former governor on Saturday in Ise/Orun endorsed the ambition of Adekola, which he said would not augur well for the party ahead of the election.
He explained that while they respect the ex- governor’s decision to endorse candidates, “his choices over time had further worsened the party’s chances at the polls rather than strengthen it.”
They said they would rather subject the choice of candidate of the party to a credible delegate election, between Adekola and Henrich Akomolafe from Ikere-Ekiti.
He said, “For instance, When former governor Ayodele Fayose went to back Bisi Kolawole for governorship race, Kolawole won the primaries and you can see how we are losing supporters on a daily basis.
“Now, we are saying we want a youth, fresh blood who has credibility and a track record in Akomolafe but again our leader (Fayose) has opted for a political lightweight who lost heavily as a sitting member in 2019. We would not take it.”
But Fayose who denied the allegation of imposition said it is within his right to have a preference among the aspirants and that the decision did not foreclose the ambition of others ahead of the primaries.
Fayose calculated the difference between the zoning arrangement, the former governor espousing the reasons for the demand Ikere Ekiti to produce the party’s senatorial candidate instead of the House of Representatives would boost its chances in the June 18, 2022, governorship election and the general elections scheduled for 2023.
The former governor endorsed his former deputy, Professor Kolapo Olusola-Eleka for the Ekiti South Senatorial seat and hailed from Ikere Ekiti, a town who are fighting for the House of Representatives.
He also endorsed the former lawmaker, Segun Adekola, hailed from Ekiti South West Local for House of Representatives on the constituency.
Fayose made this declaration during a town hall meeting with PDP stakeholders in the Ise/Orun Local Government Area of the state on Saturday.
The former governor said his endorsement of Prof Olusola-Eleka and Segun Adekola will however not prevent other members of the party from contesting the primary election.
