Ekiti Poll: Oni Accuses Ayu Of Conniving With Fayose To ‘Sell PDP Ticket To APC ‘

A former Governor of Ekiti State and Peoples Democratic Party governorship aspirant in the state, Chief Segun Oni, has accused the National Working Committee of the party led by Dr Iyochia Ayu of conniving with ex-Governor Ayo Fayose to sell the governorship ticket of the party to the All Progressives Congress.

Fayose’s anointed candidate, Bisi Kolawole, won the governorship primary election last week and Oni said he would work with him to win after the poll.

However, in a statement by the Director General of Segun Oni Campaign Organisation, Yemi Arokodare, on Sunday night said the election was rigged and that the NWC was received by Fayose to support his candidate who he described as a duplicate copy of the APC governorship candidate

The statement read, “The candidate of the PDP and Fayose’s protégé, Bisi Kolawole, can be best described as a duplicate copy of the APC candidate in the June 18 governorship election.”

“The flawed PDP governorship primary in the state was orchestrated by Fayose to sell the party to the ruling APC.

“It is an open secret in Ekiti political circle that the PDP ticket handed over to Kolawole is a duplicate copy of the APC ticket, it won’t produce any useful result.

“It is a big shame that the PDP NWC could not see through this deception, but deliberately connived with Fayose to force Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel on the Ekiti process to achieve a predetermined hatchet job.”

The Segun Oni Campaign Organisation challenged Ayu to, in line with section 45 (a) Part VI under the General Provisions of the Electoral Guidelines for Primary, explain why he allowed the Akwa Ibom State governor to come for the second exercise in Ekiti.

However, Fayose asked the aggrieved aspirants to lodge their complaints with the appeal committee of the party set up to look into such cases.

Fayose, who spoke through his media aide, Lere Olayinka, said the party was at a stage where everybody was needed to work for it’s success at the June 18 election and not issues that could divide it.

“The PDP has produced a governorship candidate in the person of Kolawole. Those who have issues with the conduct of the primary had made presentations to the appeal panel. The panel has affirmed the result of the primary election.

“The level now is that we wish and feel that everybody in the PDP including Engr Segun Oni will work together to ensure the victory of our candidate.

“Kolawole went to Oni’s house at Ifaki Ekiti on Thursday and was told that he was not at home. Our candidate has visited other aspirants; we are talking to our people so that all of us can come together and win this election for PDP and for the people of Ekiti State.

“But anybody saying any other thing outside that is on his own. We know those who have remained in PDP and those who have moved in and out of PDP. We know those who were among the people who rigged PDP out in 2018.”