Ahead of the 2022 governorship elections in Ekiti State, there was confusion on Wednesday among the camp of the former deputy governor, Professor Olusola Eleka and the delegates to be the loyalists of the former governor Ayodele Fayose in Ikere Ekiti.
Newsflash Nigeria had earlier reported the ward chairmen and other executives in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ikere Local Government Area of the state visited former governor, Ayodele Fayose in Lagos to support his leadership style.
The meeting was held in Fayose’s residence in Ikeja on Sunday, April 25 in a bid to rally support for the preferred candidate of former Governor Ayodele Fayose, Hon Bisi Kolawole.
Newsflash Nigeria had reported that the former governor, Ayo Fayose, had endorsed Otunba Bisi Kolawole, the incumbent Chairman of PDP in the state as his preferred candidate for the 2022 governorship election.
This unexpected visit of Ikere delegates to Fayose has since caused ripples and shock in the camp of Prof. Kolapo Eleka, who is also a governorship aspirant and indigene of Ikere Ekiti.
Prof. Eleka had been boasting of total support of Ikere delegates and the entire people until the Ward Chairmen paid solidarity visit to Fayose last week.
The leaders of the party in the town were organized the emergency meeting on Wednesday at Odopetu Hall, Okekere area, which was attended by PDP leaders and stakeholders was to put pressure on the Ward Chairmen and other delegates, who had visited Fayose in Lagos on Sunday, to pledge their loyalty and support for Otunba Bisi Kolawole, to rescind their decision.
But the meeting ended abruptly as the 12 delegates walked out when Eleka’s men tried to trick them into taking group photographs to be used for mischievous political propaganda.
The 12 delegates then moved en-masse to a popular joint in Ikere to celebrate their stance even more 6 delegates were joining the Fayose camp.
One of the delegates said “We knew Fayose as our political leader before Eleka, hence if he wants our support, he should respect the decision of Fayose as his benefactor too and retrace his steps to him”.
One of the aggrieved ward Chairmen, Kayode Oguntuase, (Are/Araromi/Ayetoro Ward) said; “We have pitched our tent already with Fayose if only for what he did for Ikere in time past. We are also on a mobilization drive for Bisi Kolawole, Fayose’s anointed candidate.”
They said they will not be intimidated to recant on their decision at the last week visit to Fayose and Bisi Kolawole in Lagos.
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The Chairman of Ward Chairmen, Mr Kayode Agunbiade (Idemo ward) was contacted, he confirmed the story and stated further that “Eleka himself said he wanted to see me today and I equally told him our position frankly and bluntly.”
Another meeting scheduled on Thursday at Professor Eleka’s residence to settle the ripples between the leaders and 12 delegates but only the Youth leader, Mr. Sunday Oladunjoye, from Are/ Araromi ward was attending the meeting while others 11 delegates were met with Ayo Fayose with video chat in the residence of one of the ward chairmen.
Meanwhile, the spokesman to the Professor Eleka, Mr. Adebisi Adeola, has called on the Bisi Kolawole’s Campaign Organisation and its sponsors to desist from politics of calumny, adding that no amount of media manipulations can set Ikere against Prof. Kolapo Olusola Eleka.
Adeola reacted on the heels of the recent poorly-scripted charade from Bisi Kolawole’s Campaign Organisation, which called about 12 leaders in Ikere for a meeting in Lagos in H.E, Ayo Fayose’s house and later intimidated them to support his adopted aspirant who doubles as PDP Chairman in Ekiti State a few days ago.
He added that the chairman of the Local Government Chairman, Mr. Sunday Asebiomo, including all stakeholders in Ikere is solidly behind Prof. Eleka.
The media aide who said Prof. Eleka’s widely acceptability across the state has put Bisi Kolawole’s camp in a state of dilemma, confirmed that no amount of political gimmicks can reduce Eleka’s popularity or box him aside from contesting the 2022 PDP governoship primary election.
“It is unfortunate that Bisi Kolawole’s sponsor, who should be seen as a father of the party, is out to play a game which is tantamount to set people against other aspirants.
“We have been duly informed by the Youth Leader from Are/Araromi Ward, Mr. Sunday Oladunjoye who was gagged by Bisi Kolawole’s sponsor to adopt his solely adopted candidate in Lagos that they were not briefed of the meeting before they got to Lagos,” He said.
Adeola further stated: “It came as a shock after the meeting when Fayose gave us placards, indicating the adoption of Hon. Bisi Kolawole.
“I can categorically tell you that Fayose manipulated us to adopt Bisi Kolawole. He gave us money after the meeting which some of us have remitted into the purse of the party in our respective wards.
“Prof. Kolapo Olusola Eleka is a man of virtue who commands respect from all the local governments in Ekiti. His aspiration cuts across all Ekiti, not Ikere alone.
“It will be disastrous for any Ikere indigene to go against Eleka who had been there for us in many ways,” he added.
Adeola concluded that Prof. Kolapo Olusola will not be distracted with unproductive noise from Bisi Kolawole’s camp, explaining that his boss is a candidate to beat in the forthcoming party primaries.
