Ekiti 2022: Ex-Commissioner Rejects PDP Nomination as Deputy Gov Candidate

Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti

Barely 24 hours to the submission of all party nominations to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the June 18 governorship election in Ekiti State, former state Commissioner for Works, Mrs. Funmi Ogun, has rejected her nomination as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) deputy governorship candidate.

This was contained in a letter dated February 24, 2022, and entitled: ‘RE: My Nomination as Deputy Governorship Candidate’, which was addressed to the PDP National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, yesterday.

The letter took the public, particularly politicians of the PDP extraction, by surprise, owing to the fact that the commissioner is a close ally of former state Governor, Ayodele Fayose, and coupled with the threat posed by closure of nomination on February 25 in tandem with INEC’s guidelines.

She was the Commissioner for Works in Fayose government between 2016 and 2017.

Ogun, in the letter said: “This is to formally inform you that I am not unaware of my nomination by Ekiti State Stakeholders for the position of the deputy governorship candidate for the June 18, 2022, gubernatorial election.

“Notwithstanding their good intentions, I formally write to reject the nomination for personal reasons.

“However, I appreciate the uncommon recognition, and I assure the party that no effort will be spared at ensuring our victory at the election.

“The candidate can therefore be approached for a fresh nomination.”

When called on the telephone for clarification, the former commissioner confirmed authoring the letter, but she debunked the widespread insinuation that certain disagreement with Fayose fueled her action.

Ogun said the leadership of the party in the state had endorsed her as the deputy governorship candidate to the party’s candidate, Hon Bisi Kolawole, and forwarded same to Ayu-led National Working Committee, whom she alleged refused to act appropriately.

“Yes, I want to confirm the authorship of the letter, but it wasn’t meant to slight anybody or confirm that I had disagreement with our leader, Governor Ayodele Fayose, who is presently abroad for medical check-up.

“All the stakeholders in Ekiti State politics had endorsed me and forwarded my name to our national leadership, but they didn’t act on it. So I have decided to reject my nomination for me not to be on collision course or ruffle feathers with our national leaders.

“I have written this letter while awaiting the reaction of our leader, Ayo Fayose, and the national leaders. But this doesn’t suggest any trouble in the state PDP,” she stated.

Meanwhile, the party has accused the state Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, of allegedly wasting over N250 million public fund on the launching of his book in Abuja.

The PDP alleged that two aircraft were chartered to ferry over 200 people from Akure Airport to Abuja yesterday, asking what benefits the people of the state will derive from the book.

The state Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Raphael Adeyanju, in a statement in Ado Ekiti yesterday said: “It is funny that Fayemi, who has envisioned nothing in the state, is wasting public funds to launch a book on envisioning a New Nigeria.

“What manner of a new Nigeria can an absentee governor like Fayemi, whose first four years plunged Ekiti State into debt, with borrowed money used to execute projects on billboards envision for Nigeria?”

The party, which described the book launch as declaration of Fayemi’s presidential ambition, said Nigerians would have to ask him how secure he has made Ekiti State to think that he can rule Nigeria.