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Elections 2023: Ekiti PDP goes into contest with a divide house

By Ayodele Afolabi, Ado-Ekiti
14 February 2023   |   3:15 am
Ekiti State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is yet to put its house together barely three weeks to the presidential and National Assembly elections. The party has gone from one crisis to another as the various tendencies have refused to forge a common front to return to Government House, while All Progressives Congress (APC) now sits comfortably, a feat that is unprecedented in the state since 1999.

Ekiti State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is yet to put its house together barely three weeks to the presidential and National Assembly elections. The party has gone from one crisis to another as the various tendencies have refused to forge a common front to return to Government House, while All Progressives Congress (APC) now sits comfortably, a feat that is unprecedented in the state since 1999. However, it is the PDP that has impoverished itself, with the factions unable to put their differences aside and support their governorship candidate, in the 2022 governorship election. The party’s candidate, Mr Bisi Kolawole came a distant third going by the result announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Subsequent events in the party showed that the warring parties have not learnt any lesson.

The remote cause of the latest crisis is the composition of the state chapter of the Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign Council (PCC). The Director General of the PDP PCC and governor of Sokoto state, Aminu Tambuwal had announced the appointment of Kolawole an ally of former governor Ayodele Fayose, as state chairman of the campaign council for the presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar alongside other management committee and eleven directorates.

Immediately the announcement was made public, political associates of Fayose who were members of the party’s PCC, including Kolawole, rejected their appointment.

Kolawole, while rejecting his appointment, alleged that the campaign committee list comprised of returnees from the Social Democratic Party (SDP), saying that it amounted to rewarding disloyalty, adding that he will not work with people who allegedly worked against him during the governorship election.

In a letter addressed to the Director General of the Presidential Campaign Council of PDP and dated December 18, 2022, Kolawole explained that most members of the campaign list released by the party were in the Social Democratic Party (SDP) who worked against the PDP and his ambition during the governorship poll.

He lamented that the decision of the party to reject the list compiled by him after consultation with stakeholders was unacceptable, but stated that he would continue in his personal capacity to be committed and loyal to the party.

According to him, it amounts to condoning disloyalty and indiscipline for the party to reward disloyal members, which he said could send a wrong message to the public about the opposition party.

He said: “However, in spite of the fact that I regard this appointment as an honour, I wish to state that I will not be able to function in the midst of people who openly and gladly worked against my election.

“As it was done in other states, I was given a template and instructed to come up with list of members of the Presidential Campaign Council and Campaign Management Committee
“In arriving at the list, I followed the template and consulted relevant stakeholders, most importantly, National Assembly candidates whose elections are on the same date as that of the president.
“Also, in the meeting with the Vice Presidential Candidate of our party, His Excellency, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, it was agreed that the list was okay and that it should only be moderated by including about three or five names.
“By ignoring that list and including people who are still in the Social Democratic Party (SDP), it is a clear indication that the Presidential Campaign Organisation does not respect its own decisions. Also, the SDP members included in the Campaign Management Committee are people who left PDP before the governorship election, and have not returned to the part
“With their inclusion in the Campaign Committee, how will they function when their party, the SDP, is also fielding candidates for National Assembly and the National Assembly elections will be held the same day as that of the President?
“Will they be campaigning for the presidential candidate of our party and at the same time campaigning for the Senatorial and House of Representatives candidates of the SDP?
“While I am not against the party and its presidential candidate having working arrangements with members of other parties, including the SDP, I am however of the belief that such arrangements should not amount to rewarding people who decamped to other parties to work against the PDP with membership of the party’s campaign committee. 
“By doing this, we are only saying that it pays to leave PDP and work for other parties. This to me will be a sad commentary on party loyalty and discipline.
“In view of the above, I wish to notify you that I will not be able to function as chairman of the Campaign Council. This will however, not affect my commitment as a member and a leader of the PDP in Ekiti.”

Sources in the party said that apart from the lists made public, the national leadership tried unsuccessfully three times before to constitute the campaign council, but on each occasion, it met a brick wall because the pro-Fayose group frustrated the efforts. It could be recalled that Fayose, the arrowhead of the group, has been fraternizing with the Group of 5 governors led by Nyelsom Wike of Rivers State, who had also withdrawn from the Atiku campaign. To some political observers, the rejection of membership of PCC by his associates was like the Biblical hands of Esau and voice of Jacob.  

According to insider sources, the party leadership sensing that Fayose and his supporters were trying to sabotage the PDP in Ekiti, ignored them and went ahead to inaugurate the state chapter of  Campaign Council (PCC), ignoring the protest and complaint about the composition of the committee.

While inaugurating the campaign committee, the former Zonal Chairman of PDP in the South West, Dr Eddy Olafeso, who represented Director General of the Atiku/Okowa Campaign Council, Governor Aminu Tambuwal, urged PDP members to work for peace to defeat “the monster called the All Progressives Congress (APC)” and it’s beneficiaries in the country.

In his address, the Acting Chairman, Ekiti PDP presidential campaign council, PCC, Chief Ogundipe Makanjuola, said what is required of members of the party, is the unalloyed commitment to the winning of the presidential election so that the PDP could revive the battered economy of the country.

Makanjuola, called on PDP supporters to go out to galvanize support for the PDP and “the incoming President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, in the 2023 general elections.

“We have been handed a very strategic task, a very challenging assignment, but by the special grace of God, it is not insurmountable, we shall succeed”

As expected, the campaign rally of Atiku/Okowa, which took place on January 17, 2023,was without the anticipated threat. The pro-Fayose camp had boasted that the presidential candidate and his entourage would meet an empty stadium when they come to Ekiti State.

Conspiracy that failed
Forty eight hours to the rally, fuel stations in the state, especially those in the state capital, suddenly closed for business, thus making it difficult for people to get fuel to move freely. As if that was not enough, twenty four hours to the rally, the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), suspended activities across the state, claiming that it wanted to use the day of the rally for prayers to avert accidents and deaths on the roads. Apart from just declaring the day a work free day, the drivers barricaded all major entrances to Ado Ekiti, to ensure compliance.

However, despite the hitches, the rally witnessed a sizable crowd that thronged the venue trekking long distances, making use of motorcycles and personal cars. This was why the leadership of the party accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state of plotting to sabotage its Presidential rally by allegedly forcing the National Road Transport Union workers to withdraw services across the state.

Speaking on the development while addressing the crowd at the Ekiti parapo Pavilion, the National Chairman of PDP, Dr Iyorchia Ayu pointed accusing fingers at the powers within and without. “Some of you came here trekking, some climbed bicycles, and others used your private vehicles to convey people here because you have a political party that does not believe in democracy. If you believe in democracy, you will allow other political parties to express themselves.
“The enemy without and the enemy within made sure that there will be no vehicular movement today in the whole of Ekiti but you disappointed them. All of you are here because you are committed to the rescue and the rebuilding of our country. Nobody can stop you from liberating yourselves from the misrule of the current government. They have not been able to give you a good road. They have been unable to even maintain the roads that the PDP built.”

The Presidential Candidate of the party, Atiku Abubakar, said some enemies within the party planned to cripple party consultation in Ado-Ekiti, reiterating his earlier pledge to set aside $10 billion as lifeline for youth employment.
“They said we are not going to see anybody in Ekiti, they didn’t stop at that, and they caused artificial petrol scarcity. If you vote PDP into power, we will make you happy in Ekiti State; we will provide everything you want.
“All the roads that connect you to other states will be constructed. You have more educated people, we will develop your human capital, utilize your human resources. God has given you young people, they will have sources of income. I have said I will set $10billion aside as a loan for youths to achieve their ambitions.

“Those of you here are the PDP family. When we say PDP we didn’t mean an individual party. We shall rebuild the party to be a genuine people’s party in Ekiti State. It is the people of Ekiti State that will determine their leader. Ekiti is made up of educated people, how can they be oppressed by a few individuals? We will not allow that. Let me assure you that the incoming PDP administration will create jobs for our youths.”

In his remark, the Deputy Presidential Candidate, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa said, “I salute all our leaders in Ekiti for staying firm despite what they did to us because we saw the excitement in our people in Ekiti. What we saw shows that they support Atiku. No matter what the APC government did to us, they cannot stop us. Let us secure our PVCs and use it on February 25 to vote out APC. This is not the Nigeria of our dreams, the way they have destroyed our education, now our people are hungry and everything is going bad, we want to come back to start the process of rebuilding the country.”

Meanwhile, the former Governor of Ekiti State and his political associates including candidates of the party for the House of Representatives and Senate, except the Senator representing Ekiti South senatorial district, Chief Biodun Olujimi and the House of Representatives for Ekiti South Federal Constituency 2, were absent from the rally.  

Irked by the alleged role played by some chieftains of the party to frustrate the rally and other alleged anti party activities, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Party wielded the big stick by dissolving the State Working Committee whose members, except a few, are loyal to Fayose.

A statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba said that the decision was taken on behalf of the National Executive Committee (NEC), pursuant to Sections 29(2)(b) and 31(2)(e) of the Constitution of the PDP (as amended in 2017), approved the composition of the Ekiti State PDP Caretaker Committee to run the affairs of Ekiti State Chapter of the Party for a period not exceeding 90 days (3 months).

According to him, the members of the Ekiti State PDP Caretaker Committee are:  Arch. Sadiq Obanoyen who is the chairman, while members of the committee are Ojoade Fajana, Chief Mrs Adijat Eniola Balogun, Oladimeji Joshua Ayodele, Chief Boboye Adekunle,  Hajia Lawal Idayat Tosin, Comrade Waliu Olawole Oladipupo, Erelu Toyin Olumilua Mark, Dr. Alade  Beatrice Modupe, Aare Temitope Amerijoye and Barr. Dosu Babatunde, as Secretary. 

Relatedly, some chieftains of the party were suspended for anti-party activities from Friday, January 20, 2023. According to the party, the suspended members in Ekiti State are; Ayeni Funso and Ajijola Lateef Oladimeji who are the senatorial candidates for Ekiti North and Ekiti Central respectively.

Others are the House of Representatives candidates for Ekiti South II, Emiola Adenike Jennifer, Ajayi Babatunde Samuel for Ekiti North II, Olayinka James Olalere for Ekiti Central,  Akerele Oluyinka for Ekiti North I, Fayose Oluwajomiloju John for Ekiti Central I.

However, the candidates have since dismissed their suspension, saying that, “We are unperturbed, and we’ll remain focused on winning”. They described their purported suspension by the party as “unnecessary distraction,” saying that they will rather continue reaching out to voters in their various constituencies so as to emerge victorious in the elections.

The seven National Assembly candidates, who said the purported suspension would have no effect whatsoever on their candidacy, said, “our concern now is how to win elections and we will not be distracted.”

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