Why PDP In Ekiti State Will Not Participate In December 4 LG Election

By Ayodele Oni

The results of the forthcoming Local Government Area Election in Ekiti state are ready, the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) in the state has alleged.

The State Independent  Electoral Commission, (SIEC), has fixed December 4 for the council poll, which will be held in 16 recognized Councils and 19 Local Council Development Areas, LCDA.

Already, the All Progressive Congress, APC, has screened Councillorship and Chairmanship candidates for the poll and are now being levied.

It was gathered that each Councillors hip candidate is expected to pay not less than N350,000, which include nomination fee, tax and SIEC levy.

The opposition PDP has announced that it would not take part in the election.

The PDP, alleged that “the result of the election has been predetermined,” accusing the electoral umpire, of failure to adequately inform other parties about the Local Government Election.

A statement in Ado Ekiti by the PDP State Publicity Secretary, Raphael Adeyanju, titled, ‘Ekiti PDP boycotts council polls, says APC allergic to violence-free election,’ the party’s State Working Committee led by the Chairman, Lanre Omolase, after a crucial meeting with the party stakeholders on Thursday, mandated all PDP members to boycott the council poll.

According to the statement, the SWC said, “The ruling All Progressive Congress is not capable of conducting any peaceful, free and fair democratic contest without violence.”

The PDP took a swipe at the Electoral body, saying, “How can the Ekiti SIEC convince us of impartiality when it is ready to conduct elections in the new LCDAs that were created for political reasons without considering their viability?

“Why did it take Governor Kayode Fayemi this long to create the LCDAs? We are not going to be part of this electoral fraud.”

But APC Public Relations Officer, Ade Ajayi, said the PDP was only running away from the election having been overwhelmed by Fayemi’s achievements.

Ajayi, who said the APC would have loved highly competitive local government elections, said, “If the PDP said they are not going to participate, that is their own cup of tea. We won’t force them. That is a signal that they have been rejected by Ekiti people.”