From Priscilla Ediare, Ado-Ekiti
Some governorship aspirants and leaders of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State, including former governor, Segun Oni, the senator representing Ekiti South Senatorial District, Biodun Olujimi, former deputy governor, Kolapo Eleka, Mr. Lateef Ajijola and Mr Wale Aribisala have rejected the ward congress conducted yesterday by the National Working Committee in the state.
The leaders accused the committee led by the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Emmanuel Udom, of allegedly working for one of the party leaders to hijack the process.
The ward congress was to elect three ad hoc delegates across the 177 wards to partake in the January 26 governorship primary of the party in the state.
There was tension yesterday at the Koltotel Hotel located at GRA in Ado Ekiti, where the committee members from Abuja resided as hordes of party members besieged the hotel to raise objections to how the process was being allegedly teleguided by a former governor.
There was heavy deployment of anti-riot policemen in the general area surrounding Koltotel while combined teams of the police, Department of State Services and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps cordoned off roads leading to it.
Expressing regret that materials sent to the 177 wards were allegedly hijacked, former governor Oni, flanked by other governorship aspirants, described the situation as worrisome, saying he never expected such act to be happening in the PDP.
Oni said: “What you have seen today is laughable. And this is the standard we still are as a country. It is very unfortunate. There is nothing we can do other than to complain formally. We went upstairs and also told the acting Chairman of the ward congress panel. I believe we cannot have democracy by hijack. If anybody is a muscle man, he should apply the muscle to winning people for the party.
Lending credence to what former governor Oni said, Olujimi regretted that the sordid scenario was a repeat of what transpired during the congress of the party last year.