‘PDP Lacks Grounds to Upturn Fayemi’s Victory’

Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State, Mr. Akinlayo Kolawole saturday noted that the governor-elect, Dr. Kayode Fayemi would survive the election petition the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) filed against his victory in the July 14 governorship election.

Kolawole, a House of Representatives aspirant in Ekiti North Federal constituency II, said Fayemi’s second coming was divinely arranged to salvage Ekiti from bad governance being experienced under Governor Ayodele Fayose.
He expressed the views yesterday at a session with select journalists, noting that the petitioner and the PDP candidate, Prof. Kolapo Olusola did not have grounds to challenge the victory of Fayemi in the just concluded governorship poll.

According to him, allowing the will of Ekiti to prevail could have been the most honourable thing for the PDP to do on the outcome of the election. The step taken will further affect the fortunes of the party after quitting office.
He said the APC was determined “to present more damaging evidence on how the PDP members allegedly perpetrated electoral robbery during the election. Blaming APC for their woes indicates that the PDP is bereft of the right strategies to win election.

“It is rather unfortunate that the PDP can be desperate to upturn the mandate freely given to Fayemi and our party in the election. Where were they when Fayose was destroying the party by sending away valuable politicians that could add value to Olusola’s ambition?

“He chased away all those politicians he thought could be a threat to his continuity agenda. He started raising spurious allegations against the opposition when it boomeranged. As Fayose was doing this, APC was consolidating putting his house in order.

“All the 33 aspirants that contested against Fayemi worked for our party conscientiously in the election while the PDP house was burning due to Fayose’s narrow interest. Fayose offended virtually all the 26 lawmakers in the House.”

Kolawole explained that many of the lawmakers silently worked against the party while some were unwilling to support Olusola in winning the election and all these factors worked in APC’s favour in the election.
He faulted the allegations of money-for-votes and falsification of results raised against the PDP was an afterthought, noting that the parties “got their votes based on their antecedents. When Fayemi was the governor in his first term, he executed projects in all the 133 towns and villages across the 16 local governments.

“Fayose only worked in Ado and Ikere Ekiti alone, leaving behind 131 towns to remain in darkness for four years of his administration. Fayemi deserved the votes he got. No litigation can reverse what God had designed to happen to make our state join the league of civilized states,” Kolawole said.