Hold Atiku, Ayu, govs responsible for PDP poor outing in Ekiti – Odeyemi 

 

The immediate past deputy national publicity secretary of the  Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),  Prince Diran Odeyemi, Monday said the party’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and the national chairman of the party, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, should be blamed for the PDP poor performance in the Ekiti governorship election.

Prince Odeyemi in a statement made available to journalists in Ibadan also accused PDP governors of abandoning teeming members of the party in Ekiti state during the poll.

The PDP chieftain said the PDP leaders and the governors allegedly refused to campaign in support  of the party’s governorship candidate, Mr. Bisi Kolawole.

Prince Odeyemi said: “After the loss of Ekiti, Senator Ayu and Alhaji Atiku, as well as other stakeholders in the PDP, should know that the fate of the main opposition party in the 2023 general election is tied to the outcome of Osun governorship election.”

He pointed out that Senator Ayu, PDP governors and Alhaji Atiku’s absence in Ekiti before the election to campaign for Kolawole before the poll, created negative perception problem and contributed significantly to the party’s poor outing in the election.

“Atiku, Ayu and PDP governors left the people of Ekiti, majority of whom support PDP in the cold. They looked up to these personalities, but they never showed up before or during the poll,” he said.

Prince Odeyemi added,”The National Campaign Council constituted by Ayu was put in place just four days before the poll and no member of the committee showed up in the state, whereas APC presidential candidate, Senator Bola Tinubu, the entire NWC of APC and some governors were in Ekiti campaigning for Biodun Oyebanji. Nothing of such happened under Ayu-led PDP National Working Committee. 

“Now that the chances of PDP retaining Ekiti has been thrown out by the Ayu-led national leadership of the PDP, we need to remind Atiku, Ayu, and other leaders of PDP that the fate of our party in 2023 election now rests on the outcome of Osun poll. They must do all what they can to ensure victory for our candidate, Senator Nurudeen Ademola Adeleke.”