Ekiti Guber: Confusion Over Emergence Of Consensus Candidate

AN ominous signal emerged at the weekend that the crisis within the ranks of the Ekiti State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is far from over, as the aggrieved 13 governorship aspirants at Abuja, picked Senator Gbenga Aluko as consensus candidate.
This is coming few days after the National Working Committee (NWC), presided over by the party’s National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, approved the election of former governor of the state, Ayo Fayose, as flagbearer of the party in the June 21 Governorship election.
Fayose has also been given certificate of return on Friday by the NWC.
Aluko, in a telephone chat with news men in Ado Ekiti, Saturday, said the pro-consensus aspirants met at Samora Machel House, Asokoro in Federal Capital Territory and adopted him as the consensus candidate in line with the directive of PresidentGoodluck Jonathan.
He said the aspirants unanimously agreed among themselves after due consideration and had presented him to the party’s leaders for approval.
Other aspirants reportedly present at the meeting are: former Minister of police affairs, Navy Capt Caleb Olubolade, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, Wale Aribisala, Ropo Ogunbolude, Modupe Ogundipe, Dr Kadijat Adubiaro, Peter Obafemi, Deji Ajayi, Dare Bejide and Bodunde Adeyanju.
But he said one of the aspirants, Mr. Bisi Omoyeni, who was a former Deputy Governor to Fayose, was not at the meeting.
Senator Aluko, said the Chairman of the party, Mr Makanjuola Ogundipe, who was absent at the last Saturday’s primaries, presided over the consensus meeting.

Aluko said Ogundipe had forwarded a letter to President Goodluck Jonathan on the recent development in the party.
But Adeyeye, in a statement yesterday, denied that a consensus candidate has been picked among the 13 aggrieved aspirants in the party.
The Director General of Prince Adedayo Adeyeye Movement (PAAM), Hon Bisi Kolawole, said “the 12 aspirants that met in Abuja yesterday did not unanimously agree on anyone as a consensus candidate.”
Kolawole, who said agreement on consensus candidate must be unanimous, added that only five out of the 12 aspirants supported one of the aspirants. “A situation where only five very weak aspirants supported one of the aspirants, cannot be regarded as a consensus agreement.
“Rather, consensus should take into consideration the strength of the aspirants.
“Most importantly, what ought to have been done was for the aspirants to call for the implementation of the Chief Bode George’s Committee Report, which all of them signed to abide by.
“Since all the aspirants signed to abide by the decision of the Chief Bode George Committee, what should have been done simply, was the implementation of the report, and that was what Prince Adeyeye pointed out at the meeting.
“It is, therefore, our position in PAAM that if the consensus option is still necessary in view of the present situation, report of the Chief Bode George Committee, which considered the strength of the aspirants must form the basis,” Kolawole said.