Updated: Tukur distances self from Fayose’s suspension

The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Dr. Bamanga Tukur, has distanced himself from the suspension of a former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose, by the state chapter of the party.
Tukur, The Eagle Online learnt, made his position known at a meeting he had with Fayose at the national headquarters in Abuja on Thursday.
At the meeting, which ended at about 1pm, Tukur also promised to set up a reconciliation committee that would sort out the differences of all tendencies within the Ekiti State chapter of the party.
A source at the meeting told The Eagle Online that former local government area chairmen in Ekiti State were at the meeting.
Fayose was suspended by the party over allegations that he was the mastermind of the violence unleashed on party members and journalists at the state secretariat of the party in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.
Fayose has denied the allegation of complicity in the violence that left journalists and members of the State Executive Committee of the party injured.

Update
Fayose told newsmen after the meeting: “The genesis of the crisis was as a result of the advice of Mr. President on a possible understanding of emergence of a consensus gubernatorial candidate if practicable. This has become a source of extortion leading to compromise of the state chairman and some exco members.
“This and other issues pitched members of the State Working Committee, SWC, against others as a result of a generation of a list of undemocratic consensus committee aimed at producing a particular candidate without the input of relevant stakeholders.
“I wish to state that Ogundipe has collected a non-refundable deposit fee of N2 million from at least 13 aspirants and yet want to force a consensus arrangement on the aspirants after the collection of non-refundable fees. On what moral ground can this be justified.
“The only way out is to do it like Anambra and allow everyone to participate. If the minister wants to be governor he should come home and let the people know him. Abuja will not adopt any candidate.”