EKITI PDP EXONERATES PARTY FROM PRESIDENCY CRISIS

By NBF News

Ekiti PDP exonerates party from presidency crisis
From BOLU-OLu ESHO, Ado-Ekiti
Wednesday, March 3 , 2010
The Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) Ekiti State chapter has given the party a clean bill of health over the leadership crisis rocking the Presidency. State Chairman of the party, Chief Bola Olu-Ojo, while addressing newsmen in Ado-Ekiti on Tuesday, exonerated the party from the problem associated with effecting transfer of power from ailing President Umaru Yar'Adua to his deputy, Goodluck Jonathan after several weeks of his absence from the country.

Olu-Ojo, who said the party had not soiled the image of the nation in any way, noted that members of his party dominated the Federal Executive Council (FEC) and the National assembly that saved the country from brink of imminent break-up.

'The PDP has rather helped in this situation by defusing the tension, because it was the PDP-dominated National Assembly and the FEC members that rose to the occasion. So, the PDP must be commended instead of being condemned,' Olu-Ojo said. He, however, expressed optimism that the ailing President would soon regain his health to continue running the country's affairs.

Speaking on the return of former governor Ayo Fayose with Labour Party(LP) to the state, the PDP chairman said the leadership of the party would not take him for granted as plans had been mapped out to check any activities in the party that could tempt any member to defect to another party.

Olu-Ojo said Fayose would not pose any threat to PDP in the 2011 general election in the state, but Governor Segun Oni-led administration would not have any face-off with Fayose as expected by the latter.

'We are not afraid of Fayose as the race to the 2011 elections now hots up, but we will not underrate him either. The former governor was part of us in the past and now that he had left, we are going to ensure that none of our sheep is lost again through any defection,' Olu-Ojo said.

In preparation for the 2011 election, no fewer than 200 aspirants in PDP have obtained nomination forms for 35 political offices available for the state and national assembly seats for the 2011 elections in the state.

He described the development as a mark of popularity of the party in the state and as the only credible party that could win election in the state.

To forestall any intra party crisis, Olu-Ojo said the party would not impose any candidate against the wishes of the people.

According to the PDP chairman, 'there will not be any imposition at the primaries in the coming election because we don't want the repeat of the 2007 elections and the Anambra election. Every individual has to go to the field this time round and fight for himself.'