By Success Afolayan.
Members of the Peoples Democratic Party, considered to be loyalists of the former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose in Ekiti South Senatorial District of Ekiti State, have vowed to throw their weight behind the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Hon. Yemi Adaramodu, contesting for Upper Chamber of the National Assembly in the Saturday 25th February, 2023 election.
The PDP members, popularly known as Fayose’s Osoko Political Assembly, said they decided to support Adaramodu due to the alleged failure of the PDP candidate and Senator representing the Southern Senatorial District of the Ekiti, Senator Biodun Olujimi, to work for the Party during the last gubernatorial election in the State.
The PDP members from the six councils in the district including the Party State Executive Committee members, House of Assembly candidates, ward/local government chairmen, former House of Assembly members and former political office holders, spoke at a campaign rally at Ise Ekiti, where they urged PDP members to cast the senatorial vote for the APC candidate.
A former House of Assembly member, Dare Pelemo, who said the campaign rally, which would be held in the six councils areas, was to sensitise party members on the need to vote for Adaramodu in the senatorial election, saying, “We in Osoko (Fayose) group are not going to vote for Senator Biodun Olujimi because she has not done well for our senatorial district, our communities and for us as a people.
“We are here to tell our people who to vote for. Our leaders have agreed that we should vote for Yemi Adaramodu, the APC candidate for the Senate. It is not about party, it is about interest. It is better to vote for a person who can do it very well, that is what our leaders have seen in the APC candidate,” Pelemo said.
PDP State Auditor, Mrs Arike Akintade, who said members of the Fayose group had begun mobilisation to ensure Adaramodu’s victory, harped on the need to “kick Olujimi out of the Senate because she has betrayed us, she has not done well in office. We are solidly behind Adaramodu and we will ensure he wins in the six local governments in the senatorial district”.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Ward Chairmen in Emure Council area, Banji Adeleke, said the February election would be payback time for Olujimi, who he accused of not having regard for people of the senatorial district in addition to having allegedly frustrated PDP governorship bids in 2018 and 2022.
Adeleke said, “If we let Olujimi return to the Senate, PDP will suffer for it again. That is why we resolved to work for Adaramodu to ensure his victory. We could see what Adaramodu did when he was Chief of Staff to Governor and a s a member of House of Representatives. We feel if we work for him to become senator, we in PDP will benefit from what he will do in our six local government areas”.
Former Secretary, Ekiti East Council, Akin Adeyemi, said that in addition to the Olujimi’s alleged betrayal of Fayose and PDP, “We are supporting Adaramodu based on the decision of our leader, Fayose. Fayose has foresight, he knows what will benefit the senatorial district and the whole state. For Fayose to decide that Adaramodu is fit to be the Senator for the Southern District despite being APC candidate, he has seen beyond everybody”.
“When Adaramodu was CoS, we all heard about him and what he has done in Ekiti State. He is a great man. So, our votes for him are for the right person. We remain in PDP and we will support other PDP candidates,” he said.