Ekiti PDP: A Look at Rerun Primaries and Deductions – By Omotoso Okeya
16th Dec, 2022
The PDP rerun primary elections in Ekiti North and Ekiti Central Senatorial Districts have come and gone as ordered by the Court. The winners and their supporters are still likely to remain in a state of absolute euphoria. This is not uncommon to politicians. To them, celebration is an integral part of politics, most especially when victory is achieved both in intra-party and inter-party elections
However, some important inference could be retrospectively made from the elections, most especially about the countless projections and prophesies that characterised its preparations. A lot of hot arguments and debates ensued over the likely winners and some politicians never hesitated to stake belts on this.
Ahead of the primaries, the factional groups in Ekiti PDP were notably engaged in war of supremacy and popularity. Off course, it was another round of arduous struggles that were not devoid of ferocious verbal attacks, boasting and political bravado among them.
More importantly, the critics and political adversaries of the former Governor Ayo Fayose actually bragged on different social media platforms that any contestant with traceable ties with the former governor wouldn’t get a single vote in the primaries, claiming that the core structure of the party now belongs to them and that all the eligible delegates had been hijacked from him.
The critics of Ayo Fayose, whose majority are his estranged followers and beneficiaries, evidently prepared for the senatorial primaries as a showdown with him. Some even went to the extent of writing and informing the party Presidential Candidate Atiku Abubakar that he should comparatively measure their political strength and clout with the rerun primaries.
With all the brags, covert and overt plans of these factional groups against Ayo Fayose, the contestants loyal to him, Funso Ayeni and Deji Ajijola, eventually won the rerun primaries by a landslide
In Ekiti North, Funso Ayeni polled 164 votes against 7 of Kehinde Agboola. Also, Deji Ajijola garnered 129 votes, while Henry Ojo got 42 in Ekiti Central.
However, the outcome of the primaries won’t come as a surprise to those who have the true and practical knowledge of Ekiti politics in general. Fayose undoubtedly has a firm grip of Ekiti politics. Irrespective of what might have transpired between H.E. Fayose and his estranged followers, they should still respect him and his leadership style with which he has tremendously benefited and uplifted them.
The national leadership of the PDP should again learn a lesson from the just concluded senatorial party primaries in Ekiti State vis-a-vis the lingering crises. Off course, the recent rerun primaries are good examples of the series of chronological struggles I have been referring to in Ekiti PDP. Now, another struggle with a political generalissimo has come to a conclusion and the result is known to all and sundry. Unfortunately, instead of cooperating and working with the party candidates, some might still throw tantrums, engage in name calling, insubordination and all sorts of disloyal practices, whereas, with the cooperation of the party members, Fayose has the capacity and political wherewithal to reposition the party.
Giving recognition to countless factional leaders in Ekiti PDP in one form or the other by the national leadership of the party would create more divisions and problem for the party.
Normally, winner will usually emerge in every contest. Therefore, the winner should be magnanimous in victory and ensure that all the party members are carried along in preparation for the general election. And, the idea of, if not me, it can’t be any other person, should be jettisoned by the losers and their supporters. Bad loser syndrome has been identified as one of the major problems of PDP in Ekiti State. But, I hope such will stop having learnt a bitter lesson from the last governorship election.
Omotoso Okeya is a Journalist and Public Affairs Analyst
