. Says others are free to seek stakeholders’ endorsement
By Valentine Amanze
The Media Aide to Mr. Ayodele Fayose, the former governor of Ekiti State, Lere Olayinka, has described the endorsement of Hon. Bisi Kolawole by
leaders of the party in the Ekiti Central Senatorial district, as their preferred candidate for the State Chairmanship of the party in the forthcoming congress as sacrosanct.
He said that others were also free to openly endorse their choice aspirants. Olayinka, who was responding to a statement by the State Publicity
Secretary of the party, Mr. Jackson Adebayo, on the endorsement of Kolawole, in a letter to the State Chairman,
Chief Gboyega Oguntuwase, said, “It is no longer news that you [Oguntuwase] are interested in returning as the state chairman and we have it on good authority that you are Senator Olujimi’s preferred
candidate.”
He said rather than ranting, and having boasted that he would defeat Fayose’s candidate in the congress, that it was better for Oguntuwase to go
And prepare for a free and fair contest. Olayinka, who accused the Oguntuwase-led State Exco of not playing its
role as opposition party in Ekiti State, said it was funny that the State Publicity Secretary was always prompt in releasing press
statements on intra-party issues, but asleep on issues bordering on governance in the state.
He reiterated: “Hon. Bisi Kolawole stands endorsed by Fayose and others leaders of the party in Ekiti Central senatorial district as
the preferred aspirant to the office of the Chairman of the PDP in Ekiti State without apology and others are also free to openly endorse their preferred aspirants.”
The letter read in part: “First, let me state that this response is on behalf of myself as a party man, who has demonstrated and still demonstrating total commitment and loyalty to the party (Record of my
activities speak for itself).
“I read with interest the statement made on behalf of the party in Ekiti State by the State Publicity Secretary, Mr Jackson Adebayo,
ostensibly concerning the endorsement of Hon. Bisi Kolawole by leaders of the party in the Ekiti Central Senatorial district, as their preferred candidate for the State Chairmanship of our party in the forthcoming congress.
“I also read the open letter addressed to the State Chairman, Mr. Gboyega Oguntuwase on the same issue by Senator Biodun Olujimi.
“It is a common knowledge that both Jackson Adebayo’s statement and Olujimi’s open letter came from the same source as the two are working
together.
“I wish to state, and clearly too that in politics throughout the world, aspirants getting the endorsement of stakeholders is part of
the process because in every politics, there must be interests and divides.
“Importantly, in our party’s guideline for the conduct of congresses
And national convention, nomination forms of aspirants must be signed by a stipulated number of card-carrying members of the party as a form
of endorsement.
“Therefore, the endorsement of Bisi Kolawole by former governor Ayodele Fayose and other leaders in the Ekiti Central senatorial district is right and legitimate, and other aspirants are also at
liberty to seek the endorsement of Senator Olujimi and other leaders of the party.
“Fayose that you and I know does not hide his positions on issues. He is a very clear character and that is what he has demonstrated in the endorsement of Bisi Kolawole.
“Most importantly, the State Publicity Secretary needs to avail himself with a copy of the just released ‘Guidelines for the conduct of Ward, LGA, State, Zonal Congresses and the National Convention’
to know whose power it is to conduct elections into party committees
at all levels.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the actual conduct of elections at the Ward, Local Government Area, State, and Zonal Congresses of the party is the duty of the Congresses Committee at each level appointed
by the National Working Committee (NWC). In other words, the State Executive Committee, to which the State Publicity Secretary belongs
does not have any role to play.”
