Fresh crisis seems to be brewing in the Ekiti State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following the inclusion of members who had defected to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and worked against the PDP candidate in the last governorship election, Otunba Bisi Kolawole, in the campaign team of the PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
Allies of former state Governor, Ayodele Fayose, led by Kolawole are angry that the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation are promoting disloyalty to the cause of the party and conflict of interests by rewarding defectors to SDP with the membership of Ekiti State Campaign Management Committee to sell the candidacy of Atiku to voters in the state.
Aggrieved loyalists of Fayose on receipt of a letter signed by the director-general of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation who is also the Governor of
Sokoto State, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, at the weekend questioned the rationale behind the appointment of SDP members into the Ekiti State Campaign Management Committee (SCMC) when they were yet to officially return to the PDP.
It was on the strength of this that the PDP standard bearer in the June 18 governorship poll in Ekiti State and a strong loyalist of Fayose announced the rejection of his appointment as the chairman of the Ekiti PDP Presidential Campaign Council (PCC).
But Kolawole in a telephone chat with THISDAY yesterday expressed optimism that despite the disagreement and existence of factions within Ekiti PDP,
party members would still work hard to ensure victory for Atiku in the state presently being led by the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Some SDP members appointed into the Ekiti State Campaign Management Committee for Atiku’s presidency include former Director General of the Segun Oni Campaign Organisation (SOCO), Chief Dare Bejide, who is was appointed deputy director, Research and Strategy for Atiku’s Campaign; former Chief of Staff, Chief Dipo Anisulowo, who was appointed as director (Central Senatorial District); former Chairman, Ado Local Government Area, Hon. Femi Bamisile, who was appointed as assistant secretary and SOCO publicity secretary and Mr. Jackson Adebayo, who was appointed as assistant director, Media and Publicity.
Voicing his opposition to the appointment of the SDP chieftains into the Atiku’s campaign team and his rejection of the PCC chairmanship in Ekiti State, Kolawole declared that he would find it difficult to work with individuals who openly and gladly worked against the interest of the PDP and by extension his emergence as governor in the last gubernatorial election in the state.
He said: “As it was done in other states, I was given a template and instructed to come up with list of members of the Presidential Campaign Council and Campaign Management Committee.
“In arriving at the list, I followed the template and consulted relevant stakeholders, most importantly National Assembly candidates, whose elections are on the same date as that of the president.
“Also, in the meeting with the vice presidential candidate of our party, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, it was agreed that the list was okay and that it should only be moderated by including about three or five names
“By ignoring that list and including people who are still in the Social Democratic Party (SDP), it is a clear indication that the Presidential Campaign Organisation does not respect its own decisions.”
He stated further that: “Also, the SDP members included in the Campaign Management Committee are people who left PDP before the governorship election, and have not returned to the party.
“With their inclusion in the Campaign Committee, how will they function when their party, the SDP, is also fielding candidates for National Assembly elections which will hold the same day as that of the president?
“Will they be campaigning for the presidential candidate of our party and at the same time be campaigning for the
ial and House of Representatives candidates of the SDP?
“While I am not against the party and its presidential candidate having a working arrangements with members of other parties, including the SDP, I am however of the belief that such arrangements should not amount to rewarding people who decamped to other parties to work against the PDP with membership of the party’s campaign committee. By doing this, we are only saying that it pays to leave PDP and work for other parties. This, to me, will be a sad commentary on party loyalty and discipline.
“In view of the above, I wish to notify you that I will not be able to function as the chairman of the Campaign Council. This will, however, not affect my commitment as a member and a leader of the PDP in Ekiti State.”