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Ekiti 2022: Gladiators jostle for PDP ticket

  • Olujimi, Oni, Eleka, others gear for Ekiti PDP guber ticket

 

ANAYO EZUGWU reports on the battle for the governorship ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of next year’s election in Ekiti State

 

 

The race for the 2022 governorship election in Ekiti State is gathering momentum within the state’s chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as bigwigs declare interest for the party’s ticket.

So far, more than 17 persons have obtained nomination forms and have been screened by PDP national leadership. They include the senator representing Ekiti South Senatorial District, Biodun Olujimi; a former governor of the state, Segun Oni; ex-commissioner for Environment, Bisi Kolawole; a former deputy governor of the state, Prof. Kolapo Eleka and Mrs. Olumide Ojo Olukemi Olubunmi.

 

Others are Chief Mrs. Arogundade Olutoyin from Ekiti East LGA; Princess Adekemi Adewunmi from Efon LGA; Mrs. Cecillia Ebiesuwa (Emure LGA); Mrs. Adewumi Adesoye (Ado); Mrs. Titilayo Owolabi Akerele (Ikole); Mrs. Modupe Asaolu (Ekiti South West); Mrs. Deborah Alo (Ido/Osi) and a former bank executive, Mr. Kayode Adaramodu. With the increasing number of people joining the race, stakeholders from Ekiti South Senatorial District have continued to insist that it is their turn to produce the next governor of the state.

 

The stakeholders, under the aegis of Ekiti South Agenda Forum, have resolved to ensure that the presentation of candidates for the 2022 governorship election from the zone is a mandate for political parties participating in the poll. It is on record that the Southern senatorial zone is yet to produce the governor of the state since the return of democracy in 1999, while the other two zones have produced two governors apiece.

 

Incidentally, aspirants like Olujimi, Eleka and Adaramodu are among aspirants from the senatorial district seeking the ticket of the PDP. Senator Olujimi, who picked her nomination form at the weekend, said her decision to join the race was borne out of the desire to salvage the state from the woods through selfless service to the people irrespective of their social status.

 

The lawmaker, who added that she was propelled by calls from the downtrodden, traditional rulers and eminent sons and daughters of the state, promised that her administration will restructure the health sector in a way that quality healthcare service delivery would be decentralised with a view to reaching both urban and rural dwellers.

 

Her words: “Our mission is to rebuild, reposition and regain the state glory. We are very committed with passion to making sure that Ekiti State occupies its rightful position in the comity of states.

 

“We will remain focused on our mission to turn around the fortunes of the state by revolutionising all the critical sectors of governance with a direct focus on the downtrodden masses.

 

And also, our plan is to explore all the areas of possible economic prosperity and development without exploiting the people. God Almighty had blessed Ekiti State with abundant natural and human resources. What we need is the right leadership. And Olujimi is the right person.”

 

While declaring herself as the best hand for the coveted seat, Olujimi said the PDP needs to put its best forward for the poll if it is serious about unseating the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

 

Oni, who is not from the Southern Senatorial District on his part, maintained that he has something to offer the state. Speaking during his purchase of expression of interest and nomination forms, the former governor said he is interested in governing the state again because the people of Ekiti have resolved to use their votes to deliver the state.

 

Oni, whose form was obtained by the Director-General of his Campaign Organisation, Mr Yemi Arokodare, said the people have been waiting for Oni to declare his interest in the governorship race.

 

Arokodare said: “To the glory of the Almighty God and on behalf of our principal, Mr. Segun Adebayo Oni, we have come to pick the PDP nomination form to express his firm and profound interest to contest and win the party’s governorship primary and emerge victorious at the governorship election in 2022.

 

“Today, anyone can visit Ekiti State to do a survey and general assessment; the civil servants are waiting, pensioners are waiting, farmers are waiting, traders are waiting, the women are waiting, the youths are waiting, people living with disabilities are waiting, even the men are waiting.

 

“Everyone is waiting for the emergence of Segun Oni, as the candidate of the PDP, to elect and crown as the next governor of the state. It is going to be a movement like no other. The people of Ekiti State once tasted the administration of Segun Oni (2007 – 2010), and for them, it is still the best experience in terms of a people-driven government, good governance and open government.

 

“Segun Oni is the real and practical definition of an unblemished Omoluabi that is tested and trusted. He is a rare breed of a politician whose critics and everyone testify to his honesty, decency, integrity and charismatic leadership.

 

“It must be said at this point that it is only the quality of the candidate the PDP presents in Ekiti that will count and not the propaganda that the PDP can field just anyone and win.

The popularity and acceptance of Segun Oni in  Ekiti State are very special and unique in its own way, and it is strategic to the PDP winning the governorship seat in 2022.”

 

Despite the growing number of aspirants declaring interest in the party’s ticket, the former chairman of the party in the state, Chief Gboyega Oguntuase said Senator Olujimi is the best choice among all the interested aspirants.

 

He maintained that the senator’s governorship ambition will solve the internal wrangling in the party and ensure PDP’s return to Ekiti government house.

 

He described the senator as a rallying point, saying that her development agenda for the state, which she had practiced across party lines, stands her above other contenders for the governorship in the different political parties. Oguntuase, who is the Director for Campaigns and Communications of Biodun Olujimi Team, added that the senator has partaken in the screening for the Ekiti PDP governorship aspirants in Abuja.

 

According to him “Olujimi will contest, win the PDP ticket and as well emerge next governor of the state based on her track record of achievement, experience and development agenda.”

 

He further said: “Olujimi is adding a different dimension. She is a cosmopolitan person who can talk to the APC, PDP and any political party. She is offering Ekiti accessibility.

 

There is division in the PDP in the state. This is the balm that will heal everything. “When you look at Oni, his past government would not be complete without Olujimi; when you look at Ayodele Fayose, his government was not complete without Olujimi.

 

This means she has something to offer. She is cosmopolitan and will bring all tendencies and divisions in the party together. “She has been making consultations across the country.

 

There are several governors, senators and past presidents among others supporting her. Olujimi is not alone. She is coming in with the totality of everything necessary to emerge as the next governor.”

 

The optimism within the PDP camp, notwithstanding, most analysts believe that leaders of the party need to resolve the internal crisis that has divided the party between a former governor of the state,

 

Ayo Fayose and Senator Olujimi over who controls the structure of the party before the party can reclaim the state.

 

Though Fayose and Olujimi had earlier resolved to unite the party ahead of the governorship election, saying they will no longer allow PDP to be compromised in the state, the party has failed to address the issues of court cases involving the factions in the state.

 

Since the party lost the governorship election in 2018, it has not known peace. The crisis in the party started following the controversial ward executives elections held on March 7, 2020, which the Olujimi faction claimed was conducted to favour the Fayose camp.

 

After the elections, the faction approached a Federal High Court seeking an order to restrain the party from acting on or making use of the names of winners of the congresses for the purpose of the local government, state and zonal congresses. But the court dismissed the suit on the ground that the congresses that produced the leadership were an intraparty affair.

Not satisfied with the ruling of the Federal High Court, Olujimi and her camp approached the Court of Appeal but the court sitting in  Ado-Ekiti, on January 27, dismissed the appeal filed by the faction against the judgement of a Federal High Court over the party’s ward congresses.

The crisis defied all moves by the party’s National Working Committee to reconcile the warring parties. Even the seven-man caretaker committee set up by the NWC failed to resolve the issues. For instance, last August, the crisis in the PDP escalated following the conduct of parallel state congresses for the state working committee of the party.

At the parallel state congresses, a former commissioner for Environment in the state, Bisi Kolawole, emerged chairman from the Fayose’s camp, while the Olujimi group elected a former member of the House of Representatives, Kehinde Odebunmi, as the state chairman of the party.

Fayose’s group were rumoured to be enjoying the support of the NWC because the national body recognized the Kolawole-led state working committee, while the Odebunmi-led factional committee is alleged to have the support of Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State.

 

The divided support from NWC and Governor Makinde further aggravated the crisis. The supremacy battle in Ekiti State PDP also turned into a zonal crisis with Fayose and Makinde fighting for the control of the party in the South-West geopolitical zone, with the former governor of Ekiti State insisting that the Oyo State governor should honour an agreement reached before the 2020 Ondo State governorship primary election that Eddy Olafeso will retain his position as the National Vice-Chairman of PDP in the zone if he loses the governorship ticket.

 

 

He insisted that an agreement was reached by party executive members that Olafeso would be allowed to retain his position. But Makinde kicked against Olafeso’s ambition to return to the position he resigned from in 2020.

 

The governor rooted and ensured that a former deputy governor of Oyo State, Amb. Taofeek Arapaja, emerged as national vice chairman of the party before his recent election as the Deputy National Chairman (South).

 

As the clock ticks towards the PDP’s governorship primary, current handlers of the PDP must be mindful of who becomes the party’s flag bearer in Ekiti come 2022. If the party is interested in regaining its lost glory, a candidate that unites the party is the only winning ticket.

 

This is the truth that every PDP lover in Ekiti must accept and be committed to actualizing.

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