By Our Correspondent
The ambition of the People’s Democratic Party, Presidential candidate, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku suffered a set back on Monday as loyalist of former Governor Ayodele Fayose, Bisi Kolawole and seven National Assembly candidates in the 2023 general election have rejected their nomination as members of the People's Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Council in Ekiti state.
Kolawole, a governorship candidate of PDP in the June 18 gubernatorial election in Ekiti State and the seven National Assembly candidates said they were declining the nomination because the council were dominated by members of the Social Democratic Party.
In a separate letters dated December 18, addressed to the Director General, Atiku/ Okowa Presidential Campaign Council, Governor Aminu Tambuwal, Kolawole and the National Assembly members queried inclusion of the SDP members in the team when PDP loyalists who ought to be member of the team, were not included.
The National Assembly members include two senatorial candidates; Lateef Ajijola (Ekiti Central) and Funso Ayeni (Ekiti North) and five House of Representative candidate; Yinka Akerele (Ekiti North 1), Lere Olayinka (Ekiti Central 2), Emiola Jennifer,(Ekiti South 2),Joju Fayose (Ekiti Central 1 and Babatunde Ajayi (Ekiti North 2).
Kolawole who was the PDP candidate of in the 2022 governorship election in Ekiti said that he could not work with those he described as enemies of the PDP whose penchant for betrayal and sabotage are top-notch.
He wondered why the leadership of the party would nominate members of SDP who dumped PDP after the shadow poll that produced him and worked against his candidature in the last governorship election into the campaign council.
He described the decision of the party as a sad commentary on party loyalty and discipline, saying "by doing this, we are only saying that it pays to leave PDP and work for other parties".
Kolawole who was named the Campaign Chairman equally expressed displeasure over rejection of the campaign lists he was asked to draft and the inclusion of SDP members, saying such was a clear indication that Atiku/Okowa presidential campaign council doesn't respect its own decision.
"My attention has been drawn to the list of the members of the Presidential Campaign Council for Ekiti State, being circulated on social media. Even though I have not been officially consulted by anyone, I wish to raise the following concerns as per membership of the Campaign Council, should the list being circulated on Social Media be authentic.
"However, I regard this appointment as a honour but I wish to state that I will not be able function in the midst of people who openly and gladly worked against my election.
"With their inclusion of SDP members in the Campaign Committee, how will they function when their party, is also fielding candidates for National Assembly and the National Assembly elections will hold same day as that of the President?
"Will they be campaigning for the presidential candidate of our party and at the same time be campaigning for the Senatorial and House of Representatives candidates of the SDP?
"While I am not against the party and its presidential candidate having a working arrangements with members of other parties, including the SDP, I am however of the belief that such arrangements should not amount to rewarding people who decamped to other parties to work against the PDP with membership of the party's campaign committee.
"In view of the above, I wish to notify you that I will not be able to function as Chairman of the Campaign Council.
The National Assembly candidates said that it would be suicidal for the party and its candidates to allow membership of SDP loyalists into the campaign council when their party would be on the ballots come 2023.
They said, "Our attention has been drawn to Presidential Campaign Council and Campaign Management Committee for Ekiti State, as released by your good self, being circulated on various social media platforms.
"In the list, the majority of the nominees are not members of the PDP. They are SDP members. Furthermore, majority of the rest who are PDP members did not win their polling units in the last governorship election.
"Our elections will be held alongside that of the president.The implication is that members of SDP will work against us as our Senatorial Directors of Campaign for our elections.
"To this end, as stakeholders/candidates whose elections will hold alongside the presidential election, we the underlisted candidates reject the composition of the Campaign Management Committee and demand implementation of the earlier list submitted by the party".
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