2019: Ekiti PDP members sideline Fayose, elect Aluko as national delegate
Party(PDP) on Tuesday, as loyalists of Governor Ayodele Fayose and a
chieftain of the party, Dr. Tope Aluko engaged in political tussle
over State Congress to elect national delegates for the presidential
primary.
The delegates are to be elected to participate in the National
Congress leading to the election of the party's presidential candidate
for the 2019 general elections.
The battle was fiercer in Irepodun/Ifelodun local government, where
Fayose and Aluko hail from, as the party members, including a serving
member of the House of Assembly, representing constituency 1 of the
council, Hon. Posi Omodara, ward councillors and elected party
officials rejected the choice of a former Minister of Aviation, Mr
Babatunde Omotoba as a National Delegate.
However, members loyal to Fayose from all the 11 wards, who were also
opposed to Aluko boycotted the Congress.
The PDP members at the congress conducted at the local government
headquarters in Igede Ekiti, elected Aluko with 80 votes out of the
accredited 84 delegates in defiance to Fayose's preference for
Omotoba.
Most of the party members who spoke at the congress conducted by
party's Vice Chairman in Ekiti Central and Returning Officer, Mr.
Tunji Kayode, said Aluko's election as national delegate was meant to
save the party from undue slavery and for political emancipation.
Addressing the party members, Aluko promised that he would continue to
serve the party in the most committed way, by the election, he
described as fight for political liberty and freedom.
"The boycott by those rooting for former Minister of Aviation didn't
vitiate the process. About 126 persons are to participate in this
local government and 84 turned up out of which I polled 80 votes to
emerge as a National Delegate in this council.
"A serving House of Assembly member, councillors and party executives
were all present here, so the quorum was formed.
"Aside from that, the police, men of the Department of State Services
and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC),
were present to monitor the election, there was no underhand tactics
and my victory represented the wish of the party members.
"I promise that I won't betray the confidence reposed in me. I will
continue to fight the party's cause and fight for its advancement all
the times", Aluko promised.
The Returning Officer in Council, Tunji Kayode after conducting the
election said: "Our party had been damaged and we are praying that God
should restore our lost glory, so we are not going to act in any way
that would infract on the party's constitution.
"The election was not manipulated, it was an open thing and since it
was only one candidate that is on ground and he got all the election,
he is hereby declared elected as a national delegate of our party", he
said.
Former PDP Chairman in the Council, Hon. Jinadu Isiaka, the election
of Aluko was targeted at saving the party from ruin occasioned by
alleged imposition in the party.
"What our people wanted is liberation and we are fighting for it in
the interest of our party. We have seen that somebody was trying to
impose a certain individual and we have revolted against that through
our votes.
"Some people have been piloting the affairs of this party in Ekiti and
this council for long, but they were sidelined by certain authority,
so time has come to fight for our liberty.
"In a democracy, majority is in control but this case was different.
How can the minority be controlling the majority? This is not
possible. We won't allow anyone to impose in the PDP because that may
lead to total collapse of our party and that we won't allow to
happen", he said.
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