By Abiodun Nejo
The Peoples Democratic Party National and State Assembly candidates in Ekiti State have urged the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to dissolve his campaign council in the state to pave way for stakeholders’ input for an effective outcome.
The candidates, who reiterated their concern over the composition of the party’s Presidential Campaign Council in the state, said the inclusion of Social Democratic Party members was inimical to their election and would have negative ripples effect on Atiku’s election.
The PDP candidates comprising seven of the nine National Assembly candidates and 20 of the 26 House of Assembly candidates in a letter to Atiku titled, “Ekiti: Before it is too late,” after their meeting in Ado Ekiti on Tuesday night, said the dissolution of the PCC was imperative “to allow our input as the key stakeholders, to save the current situation in the state.”
The candidates including Lateef Ajijola (Senate, Central), Funso Ayeni (Senate, North), Yinka Akerele (Reps, Ekiti North 1) and Lere Olayinka (Rep, Ekiti Central II), also sought meeting with Atiku over other fundamental issues in Ekiti State PDP and to avoid his campaign visit to the state being a flop.
The council, which was inaugurated a fortnight ago, was boycotted by some members who earlier rejected their appointments on the ground of the inclusion of SDP members, whom they claimed worked against PDP during the 2022 governorship election.
The PDP flagbearers said, “We, as PDP candidates are meant to serve as foot soldiers to ensure success for the party in the presidential election as well as our own elections. Also, like your good self, the candidates are the strength of the party in this coming election, but as it is, the strength of your campaign is being entrusted in the hands of SDP”.
They said it was not workable for SDP members to campaign for PDP senatorial and House of Reps candidates when their party was also fielding candidates for the same positions.
“The SDP National Assembly candidates are relying on fund from the PDP to prosecute their elections thus putting our chances in jeopardy.
“While we wish you (Atiku) as well as ourselves success in the coming general elections, we wish to call your attention to that fact that as of today, the Campaign Council in Ekiti State is populated by SDP and people who did not win their polling units in the last governorship election.
“Some of the candidates of the same SDP are also in close alliance with the All Progressives Congress with a view to also getting funds and dividing PDP votes so as to ensure victory for the APC National Assembly candidates,” the candidates said.
Source: The Punch
