A group in the Ekiti State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), under the auspices of Ekiti Political Intervention Coalition (EPIC), has called on the National Working Committee to suspend former Governor Ayodele Fayose for allegedly stage-managing the rigging of last Saturday’s ad hoc delegate congress in the state.
The group stated that the congress was roundly rejected by stakeholders because it was allegedly conducted by those it described as impostors.
The group posited that the congress, which was expected to have been conducted by a National Committee chaired by the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr Udom Emmanuel, was supervised by one Emmanuel Enoidem, saying it accounted for why the process ended in a fiasco.
Top leaders of the party and governorship aspirants, including former Governor Segun Oni, Senator Biodun Olujimi, Hon Wale Aribisala, former Deputy Governor Kolapo Eleka and Lateef Ajijola, had Saturday accused the congress committee of bias, alleging that it allowed Fayose to hijack the process to his own advantage.
The PDP leaders urged the National Chairman of the party, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, to cancel the congress to prevent the PDP from losing the June 18 governorship poll.
Reacting to the alleged electoral malfeasance that dogged the congress, the group, in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Hon. Banji Dada, on Sunday, posited that the party would be doing a disservice to PDP if it accepts the outcome of the congress, which he described as a charade.
Dada posited that “We expect Senator Ayu- led National Working Committee to rise to the occasion and ensure the nullification of the entire process and ensure the suspension of Ayodele Fayose from the party”.
The group added further: “However, what we do not expect was the extent of culpability of the five-man ad-hoc committee sent by the National Working Committee of the party, which was led by an impostor.
“We wish to inform the NWC and the entire leadership of the party that the ad-hoc election exercise to nominate three-person delegates was led and conducted by an interloper and someone unknown to law and the directive of the party.
“While the party announced H.E. Chief Udom Emmanuel as the chairman of the committee but strangely, the exercise was, however, conducted by a different person, an impostor called Emmanuel Enoidem, the immediate past National Legal Adviser of the PDP.
“This Emmanuel Enoidem was not listed and recognised by the NWC to be the Chairman of the Ekiti Ad-hoc delegates exercise, based on its official announcement, which has now rendered the entire exercise a nullity”.
The group added that “a large number of the committee members sent to Ekiti for the congress, had served under Uche Secondus led NWC described as tax collectors by Gov Nyesome Wike, while they also tried to frustrate Gov Makinde of Oyo State over the Southwest zonal executives.
“Some of them are known loyalists of Fayose and have enjoyed his patronage.
“There was no ad-hoc election known to law in the entire 177 wards in Ekiti State, except for an afterthought kangaroo arrangement in a few locations where some persons were told to start jubilating on camera shouting “Oshoko” to justify the electoral robbery.
“The entire exercise was a mockery cooked up to impose an aspirant on the PDP in Ekiti State.”
