Former Minister of Works and immediate past Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), Prince Dayo Adeyeye, has described the emergence of a factional body called ‘fresh PDP’ as a desperate attempt to decimate the opposition party ahead of the 2019 presidential poll.
Adeyeye said the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led caretaker committee of the party under which he served as the party’s spokesman decided to set up Governor Seriake Dickson-led reconciliation committee, having premonition that some enemies would like to burrow into the party using the post convention crisis to further cause colossal disaffection among members.
On his gubernatorial ambition in Ekiti, Adeyeye described Governor Ayodele Fayose’s adoption of his deputy, Prof Kolapo Olusola as the sole candidate of the party as antithetical to democratic norms.
“I repose confidence in Uche Secondus-led NWC of our party and I know he will rubbish whatever moves made by Fayose to impose his deputy.
“The new PDP we have belongs to everybody not to anybody. In the first instance, who are they to think they can decide who becomes Ekiti governor?”
Adeyeye spoke in Ado Ekiti on Thursday during a welcome rally organized for him by his admirers across the 16 local government areas of the state.
He added: “The factional crisis which I see as a mere distraction is a big disappointment”.
“We handed over a united PDP through an elective convention, the first of its kind since the advent of PDP. We anticipated that there will be crisis before the convention, that was why we set up Governor Dickson-led panel and I know they will swing into action and reach out to aggrieved members”, he added.
He said the PDP will lose out in the 2018 Ekiti governorship poll if it presents another candidate, saying he remains the most experienced politician in the state that has enormous acceptability to defeat the All Progressives Congress(APC).
“PDP knew I was the only person who can rescue the party. Go to the streets and find out, we have been receiving goodwill messages through calls and electronic mails across the state encouraging us on the need to forge ahead in spite of Fayose’s tricks.
“Let me say clearly, Olusola’s adoption doesn’t put me in disadvantage position. Governor Fayose was only looking for whom he can manipulate but I don’t worry about that; what I worry about is impunity and imposition in our party.
“In 2014, the PDP was able to appease me to allow Governor Fayose run but this time it won’t be so. I have no blemish in my records as a politician, even as PDP Publicity Secretary and this stands me out.
“Let me tell you, there is no slavery again in PDP. I will fight this battle to the extent that Governor Fayose will come to beg me for governorship ticket. Nobody has the power of anointing except God. Though, I may not have godfather but I have God the father, the finisher of our fates.
“In 2018, Ekiti will decide their collective destinies, whether this pedestrian governance should continue or there should be paradigm shift. There is youth unemployment everywhere. We must fight for our liberation and this is what my aspiration tends to achieve”, Adeyeye stated.
Comments