The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Uche Secondus and a former Senate President, David Mark, have told governorship aspirants in Ekiti State, that Governor Ayodele Fayose’s choice will not influence the party’s position.
They assured aspirants contesting for the ticket of the party, that the May 8 primaries will be free and fair.
That is the day PDP will decide its candidate for the July 14 governorship election in Ekiti State.
There has been rancour in the party since Fayose announced a preference for his deputy to emerge as the party’s candidate.
Two of the aspirants, Dare Bejide and Alhaji Sikiru Tae Lawal, have since defected from the PDP to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Labour Party (LP), respectively.
However, speaking in Ado Ekiti yesterday, Secondus assured the aspirants that the primary election would be transparent but pleaded with them to support whoever emerged as a candidate to ensure victory for the party.
“We urge you to remain calm. We also urge INEC and security agents not to be partial but come to defend democracy. From here we are moving to other parts of the country for sensitization,” he said.
Mark, who was the chairman of the reconciliation committee, added: “If we are insisting that INEC must be fair, it means we will have to do so ourselves at the party level. Nobody will write delegates’ names; everyone will vote for the candidate of his choice.
“We will ensure this and all stakeholders will ensure it. We want to show the world what internal democracy is. Internal democracy will ensure that you all fight for your preferred candidate and we will ensure that. I am very confident that PDP will be in Ekiti.”
Governor Fayose appealed to the aspirants to maintain peace but restated his support for Prof. Olusola Kolapo.
“I want the other aspirants to be comfortable, the ultimate is to defeat APC in Ekiti and Nigeria. I will not do anything that would undermine this process, the party and the aspirants.
“I am for Olusola, but whosoever that wins the primary, I will stand by that person. The worst PDP man is better than the best of APC candidate,” Fayose said.
