Ekiti 2018: Fayose Appoints Kolawole Campaign DG, As Omoyeni, Bejide Join SDP
Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose has appointed, Chief Bisi Kolawole as the Director-General of the ” Kolapo Olusola-Eleka Campaign Council.
This came as some of the aggrieved governorship aspirants on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) dumped the party for the Social Democratic Party, (SDP), being coordinated in the state by another estranged leader of PDP, Prof. Tunde Adeniran.
Kolawole before his new appointment, was the serving Commissioner for Environment in the state.
His appointment has further confirmed Fayose’s preference for his deputy, Olusola- Eleka as a preferred PDP guber aspirant to succeed him in the July 14 gubernatorial poll.
A statement by the Special Assistant to the governor on Public Communication and New Media, Lere Olayinka said Kolawole, member of the state House of Assembly is to coordinate Olusola’s governorship campaign activities.
Other aspirants on the platform of PDP, including Prince Adedayo Adeyeye, Mrs Biodun Olujimi,Amb. Dare Bejide Fayose and Owoseni Ajayi had since rejected the Governor’s plot to implant his deputy as his preferred successor against the PDP constitutional provision.
Some of the aggrieved aspirants who have been at loggerheads with the state chapter of the PDO over the imposition of Fayose’s Deputy, held a meeting in Ado Ekiti, the state capital on Monday.
The aspirants present at the stakeholder meeting of the SDP, convened at the instance of the national leadership of the party,, included a former deputy Governor to Fayose, Mr Bisi Omoyeni, the former Nigerian Ambassador to Canada, Mr Dare Bejide who was represented by Mr. Yemi Arokodare, while Senator Raji Rasaki was represented at the forum by Chief Titi Oluwatuyi.
Omoyeni, a former Managing Director of the Wema Bank PLC told the stakeholders of the SDP not to entertain fear as nobody can intimidate them.
“This party was established by divine creation and it has become the third force. Be rest assured that our people are coming en masse to this party. Any support the party need to occupy Ekiti Government House, we will render it.
“Most of the aspirants who are still slugging it out in other parties are coming here. In fact, 70 percent of the members of PDP in Ekiti are moving to SDP, this, i can assure you”, he said.
Speaking at the end of the stakeholders meeting, the National Publicity Secretary, Mr Yemi Akinbode who led other National Working Committee of the SDP to the stakeholders meeting, said that the meeting was called because of the Ekiti election which he said was strategic to the party.
“This is the first meeting after the inauguration of the interim state working committee of SDP, because the election is fast approaching and we have little or no time on our hands.
” The leadership of the party at the National level mandated me and others including Prof Tunde Adeniran to come to Ekiti state to quickly put together the stakeholders meeting to explain to them the vision, programmes as well as the structure of the party and our expectation in the coming Governorship election in Ekiti.
“You can see that this is the first meeting and the attendance is good. People are already coming out who ordinarily will not have shown their faces. This is an indication that this is the party to beat
“It is instructive that those sending representatives are already here. Bisi Omoyeni is here by himself. That is to show that he is here with us. Ambassador Dare Bejide and Mr. Arokodare are here and that is to show that more are still coming.’’