Aggrieved aspirants on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2015 general elections have accused the Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, of arbitrarilyy drawing up the list of candidates for both the national and state assemblies polls.
A former member of the Senate, Senator Ayo Arise, who spoke on behalf of the aggrieved politicians on Thursday at Oye Ekiti, called on both the leadership of the party and President Goodluck Jonathan to call the governor to order “before he destroys the party”.
Arise, who is also nursing the ambition of going back to the Senate to represent Ekiti North Senatorial District, addressed the press conference with other aggrieved aspirants in attendance.
He accused Fayose of already compiling the list of delegates that would emerge inSaturday’s PDP ward congress, who would thereafter elect candidates for the party in the February national and state assemblies elections.
According to Senator Arise, the governor had allegedly shut the doors against some aspirants vying for the House of Assembly seats by singlehandedly picking 26 of his cronies as candidates without recourse to the party’s constitution or guidelines.
Arise said: “The governor has elected 26 House of Assembly members by himself without any congress.
“Ditto the House of Reps.
“All these people who are being shortchanged have been preparing for election.
“Everybody worked hard to get Governor Fayose elected into office.
“As we speak, he has drawn the list of 26 House of Assembly members, thereby shutting out other aspirants.
“Even four aspirants from Ikole/Oye Federal Constituency had been schemed out of contention for the House of Representatives.
“Aside this, he had instructed my challenger, Hon. Duro Faseyi, to draw the list of delegates for Ekiti North primaries, which shows that I have been rigged out already.
“I supported Fayose before the election, but as a party man, I will not fold my arms and allow him to ruin this party.”
But the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Idowu Adelusi, denied that Fayose had favourites for the forthcoming elections.
Adelusi described all aspirants on the party’s platform as the governor’s candidates.
Adelusi said the governor has not reneged from his earlier stand to ensure free and fair primaries.
He said: “Everybody in the party will stand for primaries where the delegates will choose who will represent them.
“To be a candidate of the governor does not exclude you from the primaries.
“He does not have approved list of delegates.
“Nobody will be treated as a sacred cow.”
Warning against protest votes in the coming election, Arise called on the leadership of the party to take the necessary steps to clip the governor’s wings.
He said: “This is an opportunity for protest votes, which we should not allow to happen.
“If this is not corrected, it will be difficult for PDP to win the elections.
“God has worked in Fayose’s life by bringing him back the second time.
“He should allow same God to work in the lives of other party members.”
Adelusi urged Senator Arise to meet with the governor and use all of the party’s mechanism for amicable resolution if aggrieved in any way rather than going to the press.
Adelusi said Fayose has respect for and will never do anything injurious to any aspirant.