EKITI 2014: RACE FOR PDP CANDIDATE HEATS UP

Twelve governorship aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ekiti State have purchased the party’s nomination form to contest the March 15 primaries in the state.

On Monday, four aspirants were at the national headquarters of the party in Abuja to pick their forms after paying the mandatory N11m.

Those who bought their forms are Prince Bodunde Adeyanju, Adewale Aribisala, Peter Obafemi, Mrs. Bola Oloyede, spokesman of the pan Yoruba group, Afenifere, Prince Dayo Adeneye, former governor of the state Ayo Fayose, Bisi Omoyeni, Gbenga Aluko, Abiodun Aluko and immediate former minister of police affairs, Caleb Olubolade.

Due to the party’s policy, which allows women to pick nomination form free, Oloyede merely paid the sum of N1m for expression of interest.

Speaking with journalists in Abuja after picking his form, Adeyanju said those agitating for the party to have its candidate from  the Ekiti Southern Senatorial District were lazy politicians.

He said that there had never been any zoning arrangement in the state since its creation.

He said, “What is good for Ekiti PDP now is unity and a consensus candidate. We should forget about zoning and primary for now.

“You can only be talking about zoning when the party is in government, an Ekiti man is an Ekiti man anywhere and anytime.

“It is an homogeneous state. We have never used zoning in the state since its creation.

“All we want now is that the best material should emerge so that we can win the state for the PDP again; we want to restore good governance to the state this time around.”

Majority of the aspirants are still optimistic that the party at the national level and its National Leader, President Goodluck Jonathan, might still prevail on them on the need for a consensus candidate.