Controversy trails Ekiti PDP ward congress

Controversy is trailing Saturday’s Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) ward congress in Ekiti State as party leaders and stakeholders from different camps are claiming victory in the exercise.

Those belonging to Senator Biodun Olujimi’s camp, were said to have won the congress at the ward and local government levels, defeating former governor Ayodele Fayose’s- led caucus in the election held on Saturday.

Aspirants from Olujimi’s camp, it was gathered, were victorious in all the 177 wards across the state to the combined forces of Senator Olujimi, Duro Faseyi, aggrieved party’s elders and stakeholders.

Following the outcome of the congress, it was gathered that, the ex-governor and his loyalists in cohorts with soldiers to allegedly hijacked electoral materials and went to Petim Guest House at Adebayo area, Ado-Ekiti, the state capital to allegedly compute fake results for the congress before they were trapped on Saturday night.

The factional teeming party members in their large number were mobilised and kept vigil at the guest house as all efforts to force their way into where Fayose lodged were rebuffed by security operatives attached to him.

The ex- governor, members of the congress committee and his loyalists were prevented from going out all through the night as the aggrieved party members locked up the guest house main entrance and deflated the tyre of Fayose’s vehicle (with number plate BDG-76ET) and that of his loyalists.

The guest house premise was tensed as the aggrieved PDP members were chanting various odd songs such as “Fayose ole”, “o to ge”, until the State Commissioner of police, Amba Asuquo intervened to douse tension.

Speaking with journalist, Olujimi alleged that the members of the committee led by the Deputy Governor of Taraba State, Engr. Haruna Manu by their actions compromised to manipulate the process for Fayose’s aspirant.

She said the Manu-led congress committee should uphold the result of the congress earlier held before his late arrival in Ekiti State, stressing that the most acceptable and valid results was the one that was duly signed by the INEC officials and security operatives and not the results concocted by Fayose and his accomplice.

Olujimi, who noted that the action of committee was an aberration, saying if not urgently addressed, could further plunge the party to irreconcilable crisis, adding that she might seek redress if the results of the earlier congress were cancelled.

“I wonder why a peaceful and credible congress, which was monitored by INEC officials and security agents would be cancelled.

“As stipulated by party guidelines, at 8:00am everybody was at the various wards, the electoral officers conducted the ward congresses. The Independent National Electoral Commission, police, Department of State Services and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps were there and everybody signed and dispersed at about 12.30pm.

“When the chairman of the electoral committee, Engr. Haruna Manu came in rather late about 4pm, Fayose whose aspirants were scandalously defeated used his fraudulent tactics to lured and brainwashed him to cancel the earlier congress and he agree to conduct fresh election. This idea party leaders and the teeming party members rejected.

” We stood on our grounds and we said there should be two options that that result be upheld because everybody was present, that if it is not upheld, that we postpone it to a proper date when everybody can be there again, but he said no, that he will go on with it this night.

“We waited all through at Midas Hotel which was supposed to be the collation center and did not see the electoral officers. But suddenly we got inkling around 8: 50pm that Fayose and some members of the congress Committee were at Petim Guest House mutilating results already signed by INEC and security operatives.

“We had to mobilize ourselves and storm the hotel in protest. On sighting us, both fake and genuine security operatives attached to Fayose shot sporadically into the air to disperse us but we maintained our stand because we are all ready to retrieve our party from jackers.

“We defiled nature and kept vigil at the hotel till this morning to prevent Fayose and his accomplice. All what we are for is that this material should be brought down and handed over to the police.

“With this development, It is unarguably that Fayose has lost political relevance in Ekiti. If not I wonder how a two term governor would be struggling to write ward congress result.

“So, when people are struggling like this, it smacks of failure. When you have failed, that is when you start struggling for little things”, she said.

But Fayose’s media aide, Lere Olayinka, who denied allegations of writing result of the congress, said “It was those who came from Abuja for the congresses that lodged at Petim Guest House.

He said the Olujimi and his loyalists invaded the lodge of the congress committee with the aim of hijacking the materials, which he said they could not achieve.

He denied that the ex-governor was not at the guest house when they laid siege to the guest house, saying his principal “even called senators Olujimi and Duro Faseyi to inform them that he was in his house at Afao, telling them jokingly that they could eat and drink in the hotel while waiting in vain for him at Petim.

“If they deflated vehicles tyres, it is their headache and if police arrested them, they would answer for that. My vehicle was not there as being alleged, my vehicle is not even in Ekiti, I came from Abuja by flight, I have no vehicle in Ekiti. And I have not been to Petim in the last two years”, he said.