The emergence of Senator Gbenga Aluko as the consensus candidate has caused a division among the ranks of the 13 aggrieved aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ekiti State.
The Director-General of Senator Gbenga Aluko Campaign Organisation, Mr. Tunji Olatunde, told our correspondent late Friday night that Aluko was voted as the consensus candidate by 12 out of the 13 aggrieved aspirants.
One of the aspirants, Mr. Dayo Adeyeye, however debunked Olatunde’s claim on Saturday.
The Director-General of Prince Adedayo Adeyeye Movement, Mr. Bisi Kolawole, said in a statement made available to journalists that the 12 aspirants that met in Abuja on Friday did not unanimously agree on anyone as the consensus candidate.
But Aluko and another aspirant, Peter Obafemi, told our correspondent that 12 of them voted and Aluko emerged the winner as the consensus candidate.
Aluko’s emergence came seven days after the party conducted a primary election, which produced former Governor Ayo Fayose as the governorship candidate.
While Olatunde said of all the 13 aspirants, only Adeyeye did not participate in the election of Aluko; Obafemi said all the 11 aspirants congratulated Aluko after the voting and assured him of their support during the June 21 governorship election in the state.
Aluko, while speaking with our correspondent, said the Chairman of the PDP in Ekiti State, Mr. Makanjuola Ogundipe, supervised the election, which produced him as the consensus candidate of the the party.
He said, “Everybody was asked to vote for themselves and one other aspirant. I thank God and my colleagues that I emerged the candidate.
“We are going to meet the President and the group would present our consensus candidate to him.”
Efforts to get the PDP chairman in Ekiti State proved abortive as calls put across to his telephone lines were not answered.
Adeyeye however in the statement, said only five out of the 12 aspirants supported one of the aspirants ( Aluko).
The statement read, “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 with.
“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.”
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