Local Government Secretaries and Youth Leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State has said that they did not endorsed former governor, Ayodele Fayose as their preferred governorship candidate of the party in the next year governorship election.
Speaking with journalists in Ado-Ekiti today, Chairmen of the Secretaries and Youth Leaders, Hon. Bayo Awe and Hon. Sunday Foloki respectively said the clarification became necessary so as not to mislead members and supporters of the party in and outside Ekiti State.
They said as elected officers of the party at the local government level, they duty was to provide a level playing ground for all the aspirants, not to line up behind any of the aspirants.
Bayo Awe, who is the PDP Secretary in Ado Local Government, noted that it was wrong for any member of the party Exco to endorse any aspirant, especially when the party leader, President Goodluck Jonathan had said that governorship candidate will be picked through consensus arrangement.
He said; “I have the mandate of the Secretaries of the PDP in the 16 Local Councils in the State to tell our party members and supporters that we did not endorse His Excellency Ayo Fayose or any other aspirant.
“We have met with the State Chairman, Chief Makanjuola Ogundipe and expressed our position to him and I am saying it without any malice against Dr Ayo Fayose or any aspirant that it is not part of our briefs to endorse any aspirant for governorship.”
Also speaking, Sunday Foloki, who is also the Youth Leader for Ado Local Government said; “We are not saying that we are against Dr. Ayo Fayose, but we must make it clear that it is dangerous for our party for party officials, to go about endorsing any aspirant because that will mean we are shutting our doors against other aspirants.
“For instance, any aspirant visiting Ado Local Government will have to be received by the party Exco in the Local Council, and how do you relate officially with the aspirant when you have publicly endorsed another aspirant?”
“Therefore, what we have made clear to the State Chairman is that we have not endorsed anyone and we don’t even have the right to endorse any aspirant. Members and supporters of our party should henceforth disregard any report, indicating that we endorsed any aspirant.”
