Ekiti PDP Elects Odeyemi As Chairman, As Rival Kicks After Defeat
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State has elected a former Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Tunji Odeyemi, as the state chairman of the party.
Odeyemi defeated Barrister Sunday Olowolafe by 936 to 290 votes, but Barrister Olowolafe kicked after the election that the conduct of the election fell short of accepted standards.
He alleged internal party manipulations, disenfranchising legitimate delegates, despite a new timetable issued by the PDP National Working Committee following protracted legal disputes in the state.
Olowolafe alleged that there was no accredited list of delegates in use at the venue and that non-delegates were permitted to vote.
He further claimed that elected members who should have been accredited were locked out, especially delegates from Ikole Local Government.
His words, “The opportunity to be alive is a privilege, and we could see that most of the delegates came around today for the purpose of exercising their rights.
“However, it is very unfortunate that the process has been compromised. My agent and I raised complaints earlier, even before June, about irregularities, yet those issues have not been addressed.
“How do you identify delegates without an accredited list? There was no official list used. Anybody who claimed to be from a local government was allowed to vote. At the same time, elected members who were supposed to be accredited were locked out of the venue.”
“For the past three weeks, we have raised concerns that the State Working Committee, SWC, had unilaterally endorsed a particular candidate against me, without consulting party leaders. I didn’t believe it initially, but the developments confirm that suspicion”.
Odeyemi, while debunking the allegation, said the process could have been more transparent, saying majority of the positions were resolved by consensus and that only the chairmanship attracted genuine contestation.
Odeyemi acknowledged the internal crisis within the party, but promised that a new executive committee would bring changes aimed at returning PDP to electoral competitiveness in the state.
A member of the party’s Board of Trustees in Ekiti, Michael Oke, promised that the PDP would defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), insisting the PDP was ready to reclaim the state.
He urged supporters to capitalise on internal reforms to wrest power from the APC, criticising the incumbent administration’s record under the leadership of Governor Biodun Oyebanji, saying Ekiti had received more federal allocations under the APC government without results.
“PDP is back! You know that. APC is in trouble, and we are going to defeat them, I can assure you. Ekiti State is a PDP state”, he said.
Other Executives include: Ebenezer Oladipo, as Deputy Chairman, Kole Abiodun as Secretary, Adekanbi Oshin as State PRO, Taye Otitoju as Organising secretary, Abiona as Financial Secretary, Osuntokun as Women leader, Barr. Ola Alonge as Legal Adviser, Lawrence Olayinka as Auditor, Toyin Alaje as Ekiti South Senatorial Chairman, Sola Omotoso as Youth leader and Kayode Yussuf Ekiti Central Senatorial Chairman.
A journalist with a speciality in politics, judiciary, and investigation for in-depth stories as a correspondent, among others. He covers all segments of Ekiti State, providing a platform for the people to air their views on issues affecting them.
