22nd March, 2014
A former governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayodele Fayose, was on Satuday declared winner of the PDP governorship primaries in the state.
Fayose emerged winner with 462 votes out of a total of 477 votes cast.
Leader of the PDP panel which conducted the primaries Dr Peter Odili, former Rivers State governor, announced that immediate past Minister of Police Affairs, Navy Capt. Caleb Olubolade scored 7 votes.
Odili said that Mr Dayo Adeyeye came third with 3 votes while Mrs Modupe Ogundipe came fourth with one vote.
He said a total of 544 delegates were accredited for the exercise, out of which four votes were voided.
Shortly after his announcement as candidate of the party, Mr Ayo Fayose said he would justify the confidence reposed in him by “wresting power from the incumbent governor Kayode Fayemi of APC”. The elction is due on 21 June.
He called on other aspirants, who contested, to join him in the task ahead and forget their differences.
Reacting to Fayose’s victory, some aspirants dissociated themselves from the exercise and called on the President and national leadership of PDP to declare the primaries as illegal, null and void.
Sen. Gbenga Aluko, who spoke on behalf of retired Navy Capt. Caleb Olubolade, Chief Abiodun Aluko, Mrs Modupe Ogundipe and Chief Dayo Adeyeye claimed that Fayose was not qualified to contest.
They further claimed that the list of delegates was doctored in favour of Fayose.
Many supporters of Fayose in Ado Ekiti began a carnival like procession along major roads to mark Fayose’s victory at the primaries. Hundreds of people, including market men and women, Okada ridders, transporters as well as school children trooped to the streets to catch a glimpse of Fayose singing songs of praise.
Voting commenced at 12:05 p.m amidst tight security by combined team of regular and mobile policemen, the State Security Service and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
Addressing the delegates before the exercise, the leader of the PDP panel, Peter Odili, commended security agents for providing adequate security at the venue.
He said that primary option became necessary because President Goodluck Jonathan and the new National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu believed in internal democracy and the voice of the people.
He said that a total of 544 delegates from the 177 wards were to vote in the primaries while 15 aspirants were recognised by Abuja as qualified to participate in the exercise.
The state Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC, Alhaji Halilu Pai led the team of INEC officials to monitor the primaries.
The Police Commissioner in the state, Mr Felix Uyanna, led men and officers of the command to provide security for the exercise.