The Peoples Democratic Party in Ekiti state is parading mediocres as candidates in the forthcoming general election, a senatorial candidate of All Progressives Congress in the state, Gbenga Olofin, has said.
Olofin said the candidates paraded by the PDP cannot give the people robust and effective representation, judging by their antecedents.
Speaking at Igede Ekiti while addressing newsmen on his ambition for the Ekiti Central Senatorial District, the APC candidate urged the electorate in the state to reject PDP candidates for them to protect the respect being accorded Ekiti State as the Fountain of Knowledge.
He said it was disappointing that a ruling party could field those that had failed the people as members of the House of Representatives in the recent past for the Senate after disappointing the people.
He said that it was high time the voters rejected the recycling of those he referred to as “failed politicians” to represent the people at higher levels.
Olofin stated that Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has been the one campaigning for PDP candidates having realized that they have no confidence and the effrontery to face the masses.
He alleged that his challenger for the ticket, Hon. Fatima Raji-Rasaki, did not contribute to any debate in her four years as a member of the House of Representatives, adding it would be disastrous for the Ekiti State electorate to send her to the Senate having failed them in the past.
Olofin promised to use his political network, which he said spreads across party lines, to attract federal presence to the state to boost the state in the areas of health, youths empowerment and employment and other critical sectors.
Olofin added: “I know that these PDP candidates, particularly my opponent, Mrs. Raji-Rasaki, has nothing to offer.
“All they rely on is the power of incumbency in Governor Ayodele Fayose and they will be disappointed.
“The incumbency power will fail them because the people are moving away from what it used to be in the 80’s and even till 2007, when elections were being brazenly manipulated by the ruling party.
“The voice of the masses and the people’s conscience, including that of electoral institutions, are beginning to come into play in deciding whom we vote for.
“When the PDP was even secretly seeking poll shift, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, came out boldly and said no to poll shift.
“This confirmed the sincerity in the electoral system apart from the technology that is being used in reducing rigging.
“INEC is also introducing card readers to authenticate all PVCs.
“This will also curtail rigging, though it might not be 100 per cent.
“All these will serve as checks and balances.
“So , rigging is not possible in this election.”