PDP Crisis: Former Gov Segun Oni Sues For Peace Among Ekiti PDP Leaders; Backs Fayose |The Source

By Ayodele Oni

Former Governors are leaders in their respective political parties Segun Oni, has declared. Oni, an Engineer, is former Governor of Ekiti State.

Reacting to gales of crisis and bickering within the People’s Democratic Party in Ekiti State and south west region, the former deputy chairman, South, of the All Progressives Congress, (APC), emphasised that PDP presently needed peace for the party to forge ahead.

Oni, a former Governorship aspirant of the APC before dumping the party to join PDP, called for unity among members and leaders of the party in Ekiti rather than allow for division among its ranks.

There has been raging controversy ignited by former governor of Ekiti state, Mr Ayodele Fayose, who said Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state is not a leader of PDP in south west.

Fayose had warned Makinde not to lead any delegation to Ekiti state or tamper with the PDP structure. Presently, there are two parallel state executive in the state.

Former governor Oni, who spoke during an interview, pointed out that there was no disputing the leadership status of former Governor Ayo Fayose in Ekiti PDP.

“He is the leader. He was a governor before me and it is not an ego thing.

“When I was in APC, and I saw that an attempt was being made not to recognise Niyi Adebayo (the first civilian governor of the state) as leader, I came out  and said he was our leader. I moved our meeting to his house.

“What is realistic is realistic. We should rally round to make for unity in the party.”

The crisis within the Ekiti PDP,  stems from  the struggle for power between between Former Governor Fayose and his erstwhile Deputy Governor, Biodun Olujimi.

Oni, a former Governor under the PDP, dumped the party for the APC. Recently, after series of disappointments in the APC, he decamped again to the PDP, and found favour in Fayose’s camp.

During the recent state congresses, both factions – Fayose’s and Olujimi’s, held parallel congresses, producing two different executive members.

Olujimi accuses Fayose of planning to foist Oni on the party as its Governorship candidate after the Governorship of Dr Kayode Fayemi.

Fayose, who enjoys grassroot support denied the allegation. But Senator Olujimi is, presently, the highest ranking PDP official in the state.

Governor Makinde was appointed by the National Leadership of the party to broker peace within the PDP in the Zone, but Fayose does not want him in Ekiti State, fearing he could tamper with his plans in Ekiti, and has warned him not to dare.

Makinde is the only PDP Governor in the South-west zone.