FROM LEFT: EWI OF ADO-EKITI, OBA RUFUS ADEJUYIGBE; PDP GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE FOR EKITI, MR AYO FAYOSE AND President GOODLUCK JONATHAN, AT THE OBA’S PALACE DURING THE GRAND FINAL OF Ekiti PDP GUBERNATORAL CANDIDATE’S RALLY IN ADO-Ekiti.
Governor- elect of Ekiti Stat, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, has attributed his victory at last Saturday’s governorship election to the insistence of President Goodluck Jonathan on conduct of party primary to choose the governorship candidate of the party.
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship primary was the most contested as over 10 aspirants jostled for the sole ticket but in the end, Fayose emerged winner to the dismay of his co-contenders. He later went on to win the election on the ticket of the party, displacing the incumbent, Gov. Kayode Fayemi of the All Progressives Congress.
Speaking yesterday in Abuja when he visited the national secretariat of PDP Reloaded, a forum pushing for the nomination of President Jonathan as the party’s presidential candidate, Fayose affirmed that he would have lost the ticket to the gang-up of other aspirants, who insisted on consensus option.
“I owe my victory to Mr. President. If not for Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, who insisted on party primary, consensus would have defeated me”, he said.
He pleaded with the party chieftains to close ranks and resolve their differences in the South-West, so that the party could regain lost grounds in the zone.
The governor-elect assured that he would lead campaigns for the re-election of Jonathan in the South-West, just as he warned the All Progressives Party (APC) to stop taking the president for granted.
His words: “I must ensure he (President Jonathan) comes back. If they succeed in blocking him, we are in trouble in this country. I want to struggle and work for Jonathan. A lot of people have been taking him for granted. If you take him for granted, we will take you for granted. A lot of them said he has not worked but what have they done in their states?
“We will bruise their ego. In Osun State, we will bruise their ego. We will make Jonathan and PDP proud.
“The APC is still confused, asking questions, they don’t know what befell them. No APC senator won his ward last Saturday; the incumbent governor lost in his local government! It was a tsunami. If PDP resolves its differences, we shall win the entire South-West.
“APC doesn’t have the manpower, they rely on propaganda.
“PDP is a very good party, if we put our house in order. I will ensure that 70 per cent of our chieftains, who are aggrieved, return to the party”, Fayose pledged.
Speaking further, the governor-elect gave an insight into what his cabinet would look like as he disclosed that party men, who toiled day and night be adequately rewarded, adding that there would be no special preference for technocrats.
“Those who were part of the struggle must reap. I don’t know of any technocrat, I don’t need any. Those party men who gave me support must be accommodated in my administration”, he maintained.
National coordinator of PDP Reloaded, Richard Lamai, in his remarks described Fayose’s victory as a remarkable feat and further noted that, “as an apostle of change, his victory has opened the gate into South-west. It shall be repeated in Osun, Oyo and Lagos states until we drive APC into the Atlantic Ocean”.
Support InfoStride News' Credible Journalism: Only credible journalism can guarantee a fair, accountable and transparent society, including democracy and government. It involves a lot of efforts and money. We need your support. Click here to Donate