Ekiti 2022: Makinde, Fayose’s calculations on PDP primaries

As the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced the timetable for conducting the Ekiti governorship poll, the two groups of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in South West; Fayose and Makinde are sharpening their weapons against the battle of who would control the delegates.

According to the INEC timetable, the conduct of the party primaries in Ekiti is between January 4 to January 29, 2022. And the ground is being tilled for the coming governorship election in Ekiti State billed for June 18, 2022.

Barely six months to the governorship primary, the political tension is rising steadily as preparations for the battle over who clinch the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gradually gets underway.

The two gladiators; Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde and former Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose are already sharpening their weapons ahead of who would control the delegates for the primary election in the party.

By calculations, about 2,000 delegates of the PDP would vote in the party’s governorship primary election.

The delegates are drawn from the 177 wards of the 16 local government areas of the state.

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About ten aspirants would be jostling for the party’s governorship ticket if they obtained the nomination in January.

They are the former governor of the state, Segun Oni; former deputy governors of the state, Biodun Olujimi, Tae Lawal and Kolapo Olusola Eleka; State chairman of the party, Bisi Kolawole; National Treasure of the party, Wale Aribisala; Former GMD bank, Kayode Adaramodu; a Lagos-based businessman and senatorial aspirant of the party in 2014, Lateef Ajijola; Yinka Akerele and Tosin Ajibare.

And to underscore its seriousness, the PDP seems to be witnessing the emergence of some of its best materials as aspirants for its ticket.

Though there were two factions of the party in the state, Ayo Fayose and a serving senator, Biodun Olujimi before Segun Oni and his followers returned to the PDP.

Recently, Our correspondent gathered that Segun Oni merged with Olujimi in the last concluded zonal congress held in Osogbo under the leadership of Governor Makinde camp.

Fayose and Olujimi have been battling over who controls the party’s structure in the state since the close of the last governorship election.

Fayose is believed to be favoured by the control congresses conducted across the 155 wards of Ekiti State in 2020 while the remaining 22 wards are still pending. Though Olujimi has taken the battle to the Supreme Court after the High Court and the Appeal Court had validated the Fayose faction.

In February, Fayose endorsed Bisi Kolawole, the current chairman of PDP in the state as his preferred candidate and had unveiled in May, to his supporters in all wards in the state.

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Fayose described Kolawole as a bridge-builder, who can usher in a better future for Ekiti and the party, commended two former House of Representatives members, Hons Ayodeji Oladimeji and Segun Adekola for stepping down for Kolawole to allow peace to reign, saying “this was a mark of respect for my leadership.”

The choice of Kolawole endorsed by Fayose polarised his political platform, Osoko People’s Assembly (OPA) where two aspirants who are in the camp, his deputy during the second term, Kolapo Olusola Eleka and Wale Aribisala put out from the group.

Immediately Fayose has picked his candidate of choice, the Repositioning Group loyal to the lawmaker representing Ekiti South in the Senate, Senator Biodun Olujimi, Segun Oni group other aggrieved aspirants under OPA are merged with Governor Makinde group.

Recently, Governor Makinde met the aspirants; Segun Oni, Biodun Olujimi, Olusola Eleka and others, discussing certain issues for his group to win the primary ticket in Ekiti.

He advised the aspirants to step down for one candidate in order to win the primary ticket.

The source gathered that the Makinde group in the South-West make a move on how to choose one of the aspirants for consideration to be able to stand a chance to face Bisi Kolawole, Fayose’s preferred candidate in the primary.

Those in the camp of Makinde are: Segun Oni, Biodun Olujimi, Kolapo Olusola Eleka,Tae Lawal,  Lateef Ajijola and Yinka Akerele.

Obviously, numerous factors would be on the table of the aspirants for their consideration when the time for their final choice comes. Such factors as loyalty to the party; the clout of the aspirant which would incorporate his/her pedigree, his/her financial muscle and his/her support base and acceptability among both party and non-party faithful are seen as topmost.

Zoning has also become a prominent issue and it has gained ascendancy in recent times.

Expectedly, there would be loud voices from Ekiti South district and from Ado Ekiti town in the coming months.

However, some factors, such as the political party itself and who the sponsors of an aspirant are, might subsume the preceding considerations.

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