Fayose appoints campaign council, insists on deputy as PDP candidate

Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has insisted on his deputy Prof. Kolapo Olusola- Eleka as his successor

Ekiti state governor Ayo Fayose has constituted a council to coordinate the campaign for the July 14 governorship election, just as Social Democratic Party (SDP) has hit the state to galvanise aggrieved PDP members to wrestle power.

Fayose, who re-enforced his preference for Prof. Kolapo Olusola- Eleka, his deputy, as PDP’s candidate, appointed Chief Bisi Kolawole as the Director-General of the “ Kolapo Olusola-Eleka Campaign Council”.

Kolawile, the state commissioner for environment, was also a former member of the state House of Assembly.

The Special Assistant to the governor on public communication and new media, Mr. Lere Olayinka, said Kolawole would coordinate the campaign activities of the deputy governor.

Olainka was silent on other members of the campaign council.

Fayose had been in the eye of the storm regarding the way and manner he picked his deputy as preferred successor.

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His action had caused rancour among party members.

Some of the aggrieved members of PDP have decided to quit the party and join the Social Democratic Party (SDP), being coordinated by another estranged leader of PDP, Prof. Tunde Adeniran.

They held a meeting in Ado Ekiti, the state capital, on Monday with some of the aggrieved PDP governorship aspirants.

The aspirants present at the stakeholder meeting of the SDP, conveyed at the instance of the national leadership of the party, included a former deputy Governor to Fayose, Mr Bisi Omoyeni, and a former Nigerian Ambassador to Canada, Mr Dare Bejide who was represented by Mr. Yemi Arokodare.

Senator Raji Rasaki was represented at the forum by Chief Titi Oluwatuyi.

Omoyeni, a former Managing Director of Wema Bank told the stakeholders of the SDP not to entertain fear of intimidation.

“This party was established by divine creation and it has become the third force. Be rest assured that our people are coming en masse to this party.

“Any support the party needs to occupy Ekiti Government House we will render it

“Most of the aspirants who are still slugging it out in other parties are coming here.

“In fact, 70 per cent of the members of PDP in Ekiti are moving to SDP, this, I can assure you,” he said.

The National Publicity Secretary, Mr Yemi Akinbode, who led other National Working Committee of the SDP to the stakeholders meeting, said that the meeting was called because of the Ekiti election which he said was strategic to the party.

“This is the first meeting after the inauguration of the interim state working committee of SDP, because the election is fast approaching and we have little or no time on our hands.

“The leadership of the party at the national level mandated me and others including Prof Tunde Adeniran to come to Ekiti state to quickly put together the stakeholders meeting to explain to them the vision, programmes as well as the structure of the party and our expectation in the coming Governorship election in Ekiti.

“You can see that this is the first meeting and the attendance is good. People are already coming out who ordinarily will not have shown their faces. This is an indication that this is the party to beat.”