Barely seven weeks to the 2022 governorship primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State, the former governor of the state, Segun Oni has hinted that the delegates of the party know who can win the all-important 2022 Governorship election for the party.
He said the delegates would not gamble when it is time to make their choice.
The former governor said this during a rally organised to drum support for his Governorship ambition ahead of the 2022 poll.
A coalition of two pressure groups: Ekiti PDP Progressives, led by a former member of Ekiti State House of Assembly, Hon Wale Ayeni and Dominion group, spearheaded by Hon Eniola Eponlolaye sponsored the rally for the frontline politician.
The crowd massed at the popular Fajuyi park and move to the major flashpoints in Ado-Ekiti. The huge procession caused gridlock within and around the state capital.
Addressing party supporters, Engineer Oni boasted that the alleged poorly conducted Local Government elections by the All Progressives Congress(APC) were a confirmation that the people were tired of the ruling party.
According to him, the people of Ekiti are earnestly waiting for the PDP to put forward the right candidate for the 2022 gubernatorial poll urging the party not to miss what he termed “golden opportunity ” to return to power in Ekiti.
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He said his popularity keeps soaring among the masses of Ekiti on the premise that he didn’t loot the treasury while in the saddle of governance between 2007 and 2010.
On the forthcoming PDP primaries, Oni assured that the party members know the right man that can win the election and would not want to gamble with the choice of candidate.
Oni expressed confidence that he would triumph in the poll if given the party’s ticket, while also assuring that the national leadership of the party would be fair to all aspirants in the conduct of the primary.
“PDP doesn’t want to lose and the people who will vote at the primary know who can win for us. Though I am contesting with the aim to get the ticket, I won’t be a desperate person to achieve this. If you gauge the mood in town now, Ekiti is friendly with PDP and we shouldn’t miss that opportunity.
“This really was conceptualised to send a signal to APC after the wishy-washy local government elections of Saturday.
“It is wisdom for whoever becomes governor not to get to office and loot. If I had looted, I would not have been popular and acceptable as I am today in Ekiti. Rather than looting, spend the money for the people by way of good roads, water, good schools, scholarship and all that, so that they won’t forget you.
“PDP is a strong force and party in Ekiti and I am of that view that our national leaders would do the right thing in our primary. We don’t want to pick a candidate that would be too weak to win.
“PDP is not planning to rig and that is why we must get the right candidate, but we will resist and botch any attempt to rig the election. What you are seeing today was a signal that we are ready to take over Ekiti.
“Those who did vote-buying in the past are regretting it now. They are even raising curses and abuses on those who gave them money and now fumbling in government”.
Oni described as erroneous thinking, the fear that Fayose was firmly in charge of the State Working Committee, led by the Acting Chairman, Hon. Lanre Omolase.
“Nobody is controlling the SWC. You will be insulting the gentlemen and ladies for you to say they are being controlled by anyone. To me, they are independent-minded people, who should see building Ekiti PDP as their main focus”.
Meanwhile, the national body of the PDP had fixed January 28, 2022, for the Ekiti governorship primary.
Already, the national leadership of the PDP had commenced the process leading to the primaries with the completion of sales of nomination and expression of interest forms and recently conducted a screening for the 17 aspirants. Even though the report of the screening committee headed by the former Kaduna State governor, Ahmed Makarfi has not been made public but Newsflash Nigeria gathered that some aspirants mostly women were disqualified from participating in the primaries.
Those women who participated in the governorship screening include, Senator Olujimi, Mrs Olumide Ojo Olukemi Olubunmi (Ido/Osi), Mrs Arogundade Olutoyin (Ekiti East) Princess Adekemi Adewunmi (Efon). Others are Mrs Cecillia Ebiesuwa (Emure council), Mrs Adewumi Adesoye (Ado), Mrs Titilayo Owolabi Akerele (Ikole), Mrs Modupe Asaolu (Ekiti south-west) and Mrs Deborah Alo (Ido/Osi).
In the men category were former governor Segun Oni; former deputy governor, Professor Kolapo Olusola-Eleka; former PDP State chairman and Fayose’s backed aspirant, Bisi Kolawole; former banker, Kayode Adaramodu; former National Assembly member, Wale Aribisala; former senatorial aspirant, Lateef Ajijola and the 2018 PDP deputy governorship candidate, Deji Ogunsakin.
