The Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party National Caretaker Committee, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, has alleged that the Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, adopted his deputy, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, as the governorship candidate in order sell the state to the opposition.
Olusola was adopted at a meeting of the PDP stakeholders on September 6 in Ado Ekiti as the preferred candidate.
Speaking during a meeting with some PDP members at the headquarters of Prince Adedayo Adeyeye Movement in Ado Ekiti on Thursday, Adeyeye said, “What the governor did was a flagrant breach of the constitution and the Electoral Act and it can’t stand. Fayose is a governor and whoever occupies such a big position must learn how to protect the law. He should not take any action that will make him irresponsible.
“The PDP in Ekiti is in a delicate position. We have no federal might behind us. We are not in control of the army, police and others. Again, we are no longer enjoying the popularity with which we came into office in 2014. If you conduct an opinion poll today, that does not favour us because of the actions and inactions of this government.
“However, we have it on good authority that someone is trying to sell the party to the opposition and this we are going to resist. In 2014, I would have won the 70 per cent of the primary if not for the abracadabra they did. So, I have called my supporters and reassured them that primary will be conducted and I will emerge because I have the people behind me.”
He urged other aggrieved aspirants not to resort to legal actions but to employ internal mechanism in the party to resolve the crisis.
But responding to the allegation, Fayose said he would not engage in pettiness and respond to unproductive issues.
Fayose, while reacting through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Idowu Adelusi, to a petition sent to the national leadership of the party over Olusola’s adoption, said no one was stopped from the primary.
He said, “I reserve the rights to support any candidate for any elective post and even vote same in an election.
“I have no apology for my action because I have only exercised my rights and I have not breached any rule or law of the party or that of the country. If the petitioners are the major stakeholders and we are the minority, time will tell.
“If they complain about imposition and endorsement, let them face the electorate too and adopt their own standard that is different from the one we used. At least, I am the man to be succeeded and I am entitled to support who I like.”
