PDP okays 2,132 delegates for Ekiti guber primary

• You deserve to leave, Adeniran tells Buhari

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has approved 2,132 delegates for today’s governorship primary in Ekiti State ahead of the July 14, 2018 election. The figure comprises 1,585 statutory and 457 ad hoc delegates.

According to the National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, in a chat yesterday with newsmen in Abuja, the statutory delegates are made up of party officials, current and past elected councillors, council chairmen, former state working committee (SWC) members, National Assembly members, erstwhile federal lawmakers as well as one-time speakers, serving, former members of NEC and ex-governors.

The ad hoc representatives consist of the three delegates elected from each of the wards in the state.Already, three aspirants had been cleared by the PDP Screening Committee for the exercise. They include incumbent deputy governor, Prof. Olusola Kolapo Eleka, Senator Abiodun Olujimi and the party’s immediate past National Publicity Secretary, Prince Dayo Adeyeye.

The trio, according to Ologbondiyan, have agreed to accept the outcome of today’s primary and support whoever emerges as the candidate.The National Publicity Secretary said all 51 appointees of the state governor who contested and won as delegates at the ward level had been dropped because they did not resign their appointments prior to the exercise.

The PDP spokesman declared that the three aspirants are so far happy with the prevailing atmosphere.His words: “The three aspirants are happy with all arrangements so far, and have pledged that they will support whoever emerges.“We want to assure you that there will be peace in Ekiti. Our only concern is hoodlums from the other parties, but they will not have access to the venue.

“The processes leading to the primary are very transparent and that is why there have not been any complaints from them.“The party is desirous of sticking to the rules and making sure that the popular candidate emerges.”The Ekiti Governorship Electoral Committee is headed by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, while the party’s National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, is to preside over the Appeal Committee.Other members of the National Working Committee (NWC) make up the membership of committee which sits in Abuja on Thursday.

Meanwhile, former Minister of Education and National Leader of the Social Democratic Party  (SDP), Prof Tunde Adeniran, has asked President Muhammadu and his All Progressives Congress  (APC) to leave the stage by May 29, 2019.

Speaking during the inauguration of the party’s steering committee yesterday in Ado-Ekiti, Adeniran stated that Nigerians should be disturbed by the situation in the country, adding: “We cannot afford an extra day or month or year of Buhari’s government after May 29, 2019.”

Stressing that the APC has led the country down and should be shown the exit door, Adeniran added: “My own concern is that Nigerians should realise that the situation we are in deserves a charge of government. We cannot afford an extra day or month or year of Buhari’s government after May 29. “By the grace of God, the SDP will take over government because the APC has let us down. Look at the killings all over the place. People are supposed to be in government to protect lives and property as well as ensure the wellbeing of the people and ensure development.”

The committee was made up of immediate past chairman of the party, Dr. Dele Okunola as chair, ex- officio, Bisi Aje, Gbenga Akinola and Femi Agboola among others.The exercise, which was supervised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), had in attendance Adeniran and members of the NWC, including Ambassador Okechukwu, Mr. Yemi Akinbode, Alfa Mohammed and Mrs. Maggi Maria Batubo.