Ahead of the forthcoming Ekiti State Governorship Election, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), will on Monday, September 13 commence the sale of governorship nomination and expression of interest (EoI) forms to all the governorship aspirants of the party in the state.
The nomination forms will cost each aspirant the sum of N20 million, while N1 million will be paid for the expression of interest form, a top member of the party’s hierarch confirmed to Newsflash Nigeria.
Newsflash Nigeria had earlier reported that the sale of the nomination forms will commence September 13 with the sales of Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms and the last date for the sale of the forms is September 30 while Tuesday, October 5, 2021, is the last date for the submission of forms.
Also, the PDP will screen all the aspirants to ensure their eligibility on October 11.
The certificates of eligibility will be given to those who qualify to contest the governorship primary election.
The appeal committee for those disqualified by the screening committee will take place on October 25.
The election of ward congresses to elect the three-man ad-hoc delegates will commence on Friday, January 7 to Saturday, January 8, 2022, while the local government congresses to elect one National Delegates as well as one person living with disability from each local government area in the state have been scheduled to hold on Saturday, January 15, 2022.
The governorship primary election will take place on January 28, 2022.
Recall that the state governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi will finish his second and final term by October 16, 2022.
Some of the aspirants likely to obtain the Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms include; former governor, Chief Segun Oni; former governor, Ayo Fayose’s preferred candidate and current state chairman of the party, Otunba Bisi Kolawole; former deputy governor and party’s candidate in the 2018 election, Professor Kolapo Olusola-Eleka; a financial expert, Mr Kayode Adaramodu; an architect, Mr Lateef Ajijola and the party’s National Treasurer, Honourable Adewale Aribisala.
It was gathered that the lawmaker representing Ekiti South Senatorial district, Senator Biodun Olujimi might declare her intention to contest for the governorship seat any moment from now.
Check-in at the camps of the major aspirants revealed that the governorship hopefuls are meeting and selling their aspirations to the party delegates across the 16 local government areas of the state in a bid to fly the party’s flag in the next year poll.
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Newsflash Nigeria had reported last week Friday that a factional group under the aegis of Ekiti Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Repositioning Movement who are opposed to the faction loyal to Fayose, has elected Mr Lateef Ajijola, as a consensus candidate that would confront other aspirants in the primary.
At a shadow election conducted in Ado-Ekiti at the weekend, Ajijola who hails from Ado-Ekiti, the state capital polled a total of 50 votes to defeat former governorship aspirant, Yinka Akerele and ex-Deputy Governor, Dr Sikiru Lawal, who polled 26 and four votes respectively.
Announcing the outcome of the shadow poll, the Chairman of the Repositioning Movement Electoral Committee, Aderogba Agbaje, revealed that a total of 81 automatic delegates drawn across the 16 local government areas of the state voted in the exercise that produced Ajijola.
Agbaje, a two-time Chairman of the Efon council area said, “We conduct this shadow poll to ensure the proper democratic process in our primary. Before now, it has always been a one-man show, which we detested and we want to bring the party back to the people.
“Our loss during the last governorship election was as a result of a governor not conceding to free and fair primary. We formed this group two years ago under the leadership of Senators Biodun Olujimi and Duro Faseyi, who are collegiate leaders.”
Ajijola while commending other aspirants for conceding defeat, noted that the exercise was necessary to help the group in achieving its objectives of handing the party over to the people instead of being in the hand of one man and as well participate in the primary and speak with one voice.
According to him, “I appreciate my brothers, Dr Sikiru Lawal and Yinka Akerele for their supports. I am assuring them that I will honour all agreements. I plead with them to talk to their supporters to stand by me, united we stand, divided we fall.
“Senator Olujimi was in the know of all steps taken, though she was unavoidably absent. She was part of all we did. Is a leader of this group and we deferred to her at all stages.”
Assuring that he would work for Ajijola to emerge at the primary, Lawal, said, ” I feel okay, I feel good about the outcome. My becoming the governor of Ekiti is not at all cost.
“The election was free and fair and I have nothing against it. I have sent a congratulatory message to the winner. We want to serve the people and we have to accept how God wants things to be done.”
However, Senator Olujimi has distanced himself from the shadow election conducted by some members of the group, saying, ” from day one, I had not been convinced that we needed to go that route and I still stand firmly by my decision.”
The lawmaker added, “That is why I maintain that I am not part of the event. What happened is that the majority had their way!!
“As it stands, we need to work harder to bring cohesion back which we will so we can rejig and return to winning ways. The timetable is out. The announcement for local government elections is out.
” We must proceed to engage and ensure we succeed. Our best foot should be put forward. We must team up to get better.”
Recall that there were two major factions of the party in the state, Ayo Fayose group otherwise known as Osoko People’s Assembly (OPA) and a serving senator, Biodun Olujimi group named as Repositioning Group.
Although the third faction is of the former governor of the state, Segun Oni and his followers returned to the PDP from APC last year.
In February, the Fayose group had 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.
The ring leader of the group, Ayo Fayose, former governor of the state 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.
