Ndubuisi Orji,Abuja
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday commended its stakeholders and members for the peaceful conduct of its governorship primary in the state.
The PDP in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, commended the governor, Ayo Fayose, the governorship aspirants and delegates for their “contributions to the peaceful conduct of the primary.”
The party also commended the chairman of the electoral panel, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State for ensuring that the nomination process of its candidate for the poll was transparent.
The PDP noted that with the outcome of primary, it was poised to win the governorship election, insisting that the state would always remain its stronghold.
“The unprecedented orderliness and spirit of sportsmanship that pervaded the exercise is a clear testimony of the engrained values of fairness and strict adherence to internal democracy in the rebranded, repositioned and retooled PDP. Under the leadership of Prince Uche Secondus, the PDP has thrown impunity, imposition and interferences in electoral process into the dustbin of history. “With the emergence of a formidable candidate such as Prof. Kolapo Olusola-Eleka, and the incontrovertible popularity of the PDP across Ekiti State, we are already standing shoulder to shoulder with the people as we set for a very robust, issue-based campaign in our inevitable march to victory.
“We note that our popularity in the state is a direct response to Governor Fayose’s achievements in delivering democratic dividends to the people. We urge our members to remain vigilant and resist any attempt by external forces to disrupt the peace of the state”, the party said.
Similarly, the PDP national chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Ike Abonyi, yesterday, said the outcome of the primary is an indication that the era of imposition of candidates in the party was over.
While congratulating Fayose and all the party stakeholders and members in the state, Secondus said “the real winner from the exercise is democracy and not any individual as the PDP family in Ekiti would be healthier from the primary.”
In a related development, the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has congratulated the Ekiti State chapter of the party for the peaceful conduct of the primary election that produced the Deputy Governor of the State, Prof. Kolapo Olusola Eleka, as the governorship candidate of the party for the July 2018 gubernatorial election.
He empahsised that more important than the result was the process, noting that the PDP had, once more, showcased the growing internal democracy in the party. He advised other political parties to emulate the Ekiti PDP example to avoid overheating the political temperature of the State.
“I commend Governor Ayodele Fayose, the Returning Officer, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, and our party leaders for showing leadership when it mattered the most,” Ekweremadu said.
“I commend the aspirants for their exemplary sportsmanship. I enjoin Prof. Olusola to continue to work closely with every party faithful, especially the former aspirants, to ensure a massive victory for the PDP in the governorship poll”, Ekweremadu said, just as he called on the people of Ekiti State to continue to support the PDP.