Fayose’s ex-deputy, Senator, Ambassador dump PDP in Ekiti

A former deputy to Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State, Bisi Omoyeni; the representative of Ekiti Central Senatorial District, Fatima Raji-Rasaki, and a former Secretary to the Ekiti State Government, Ambassador Dare Bejide, have defected to the Social Democratic Party from the Peoples Democratic Party.
They announced their defection from the PDP at a meeting of the Social Democratic Party in Ado Ekiti on Monday.
Their grouse remains the decision of Fayose to anoint his deputy, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, as the candidate of the PDP for the July 14 governorship election in the state.
Omoyeni, a former Managing Director of Wema Bank, was at the meeting in person, while Bejide, Nigeria’s former High Commissioner to Canada, and Raji-Rasaki were represented by Yemi Arokodare and Chief Titi Oluwatuyi respectively.
Omoyeni said at the meeting: “This party was established by divine creation and it has become the third force.
“Be rest assured that our people are coming en masse to this party.
“Any support the party needs to occupy Oke Ayoba (Ekiti State Government House), we will render it.
“Most of the aspirants who are still slugging it out in other parties are coming here.
“In fact, 70 per cent of the members of the PDP in Ekiti are moving to the SDP.”
Speaking with reporters after the meeting, the SDP National Publicity Secretary, Yemi Akinbode, who led other National Working Committee members of the SDP to the meeting, said it was called because of the Ekiti State governorship election, which he said was strategic to the party.
Akinbode said: “This is the first meeting after the inauguration of the interim state working committee of the SDP.
“Because the election is fast approaching and we have little or no time on our hands.
“The leadership of the party at the national level mandated me and others, including Prof. Tunde Adeniran, to come to Ekiti State to quickly put together the stakeholders’ meeting to explain to them the vision, programmes as well as the structure of the party and our expectation in the coming governorship election in Ekiti.
“You can see that this is the first meeting and the attendance was good.
“People are already coming out who ordinarily will not have shown their faces.
“This is an indication that this is the party to beat.
“It is instructive that those sending representatives are already here.
“Bisi Omoyeni is here by himself.
“That is to show that he is here with us.
“Ambassador Dare Bejide and Arokodare are here and that is to show that more people are still coming and that is an indication that the house that is divided against itself can’t stand and that is to show that the PDP is in trouble.
“Our doors are still open to members from other parties who are willing to join the moving train.
“Our goal and objective is to win the governorship election in Ekiti come July 14.”
Six standing committees were constituted to galvanise support for the party ahead of the July 14 election.
They are the contact and mobilisation, youth, women, communication and strategy, result and funding and the elders committees.