Leaders of the Ekiti State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), under the auspices of the PDP Stakeholders, have vowed not to allow the former Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, to sabotage the party in future elections in the state.
Speaking to newsmen at the end of their meeting, convened to endorse the candidature of the former senatorial candidate in the 2023 election, Funso Ayeni, as the preferred chairmanship candidate of the party at the weekend in Ado Ekiti, the leaders said that they are ready to reposition the PDP.
According to the former state Chairman of the party, Mr. Gboyega Oguntuase, who spoke on behalf of the PDP stakeholders, it was the consensus of concerned members that if the party must be saved from those sabotaging it, it must elect a man of integrity and capacity as the state chairman.
“This is a meeting of leaders and members of the PDP to discuss how we can stop the people from sabotaging the party. There is a consensus that if the party must be saved from those who are sabotaging the party, the only way is to adopt someone with integrity, who is young and has the capacity to represent us and will not sell out.
“This is why all the leaders and members of the party have endorsed Funso Ayeni. When we work and secure victory by getting the governor of the state, we can then begin zoning. Zoning without governorship would amount to nothing.
“The former Governor Ayodele Fayose betrayed the party in the last election. He has an unrepentant attitude of betraying the party. If we must rescue the PDP, he must be checked or stopped.”
Meanwhile, Ayeni, in his acceptance speech, after being adopted as the preferred candidate by party stakeholders, said it is not by wooing the Ekiti PDP with the money allegedly collected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) government that the party could consolidate.
“We are fully ready at this point in time. Funso Ayeni is not the one that will bring the money; people are ready to bring the money. This is why I kept saying that more than N100 million will be contributed for people to collect forms.
“Why will a leader in the PDP go to the opposition party to collect money? I think that people should wake up to their responsibilities and if indeed, the interest of Ekiti is in the mind of everybody, I want the people to rise up and select the best when the time comes.
“We can’t rely on people who cannot even support their children’s election with N50 million when he was contesting and is now brandishing such money. Leaders have decided that what is worth doing is worth doing well. We have decided to collect nomination forms for our people. By the grace of God, we will emerge victorious after the congresses.
“Those he (Fayose) met recently are members of his Osoko Political Assembly. From what you are seeing here today, it shows that these are PDP leaders. What we have done today is that we are united and we are ready to move forward,” he said.
