Ekiti PDP Primary: Oni Accuses Ayu’s NWC, Fayose of Sellout

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant in Ekiti State, in the just concluded primary election, Segun Oni, has accused the Dr. Iyorchia Ayu-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former governor Ayodele Fayose of selling out party’s candidacy to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), with the shoddy and abysmal way the election was conducted.

Oni, who alleged that with the wobbling and bleak future awaiting the PDP in Ekiti in the coming poll, its candidate and Fayose’s protege, Hon. Bisi Kolawole, could be best described as a duplicate copy of the APC candidate in the June 18 governorship election.

In a statement by the Director General of his campaign organisation, Hon. Yemi Arokodare, on Sunday, Oni maintained that the outcome of the allegedly “flawed” PDP governorship primary in the state was orchestrated by Fayose to sell the party to the ruling APC.

Oni posited that it was an open secret in Ekiti political circle that the PDP ticket handed over to Kolawole, was a duplicate copy of the APC ticket, which he predicted won’t produce any useful result for the party

“It is a big shame that the National Working Committee of the PDP could not see through this deception but deliberately connived with Fayose to force Governor Udom Emmanuel on the Ekiti process to achieve a predetermined hatchet job.

“The National Chairman of the PDP, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, should explain to party members nationwide the import of Section 45 (a) Part VI under the General Provisions of the Electoral Guidelines for Primary after the ad-hoc election was nullified,” he said.

Section 45 (a), according to Oni, stated that, “Any officer or member of the party who fails, refuses or neglects to carry out his duties about these guidelines on the general conduct of the primary elections or who obstructs, defies, or in any manner, hinders, impedes or subverts the implementation or success of these guidelines, is guilty of gross misconduct and shall be brought before the National Disciplinary Committee of the party for disciplinary action.”

In view of the foregoing provision, Oni challenged Ayu to explain why he allowed Emmanuel to come for the second exercise in Ekiti after midwifing the process for the botched ad-hoc delegates election that was nullified.

His words: “Chairman Ayu must tell the world why he cannot trust any other PDP Governor except Governor Udom Emmanuel to conduct the two exercises in Ekiti State, when it is evident that Fayose had conducted Udom’s 2019 Primaries.

It is now crystal clear that the plot ab initio was for the two buddies of Fayose from Akwa Ibom State, Emmanuel Enoidem (former Legal Adviser of the PDP) and Gov Udom Emmanuel, to conduct the two exercises in favour of Fayose and the NWC fell for it.

“Chairman Ayu deliberately indulged Fayose, who attempted to truncate the national convention that produce the current NWC and never asked him how he intended to win Ekiti for the PDP with the weakest of the aspirants, even when he could not do so as a sitting governor with his deputy in 2018.

“For the record, Ekiti is a giveaway to the APC; the majority of party members are aware that it would be an exercise in futility to spend time and resources to campaign for the candidate of the PDP ahead of the June 18 election.”

Oni posited that it was shameful that the PDP Appeal Panel hurriedly sat to ratify an alleged fraudulent election without looking into the merit of the petition written by one of the aspirants, Mrs Deborah Alo.

“It is worrisome that Chairman Ayu is interested in threatening party members with suspension and expulsion, but he is hardly interested in how the party will win in Ekiti,” Oni said.

Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti

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