Chairmanship hopeful of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prof Tunde Adeniran has explained that Ekiti state governor, Ayodele Fayose is reluctant to support his aspiration due to his (Fayose’s) interest in contesting the presidency against the party’s principle of zoning which favoured the North.
Adeniran who hails from Ekiti state said this Wednesday when he visited the PDP headquarters to submit his nomination form.
He said the Ekiti state governor thought that it is impossible to have both the national chairman of the party and the president to come from the same state.
The chairmanship aspirant stated that Gov Fayose was yet come to terms with the formula that ceded the presidency to the north which he noted is a reality, adding that if he realised it, he would support his aspiration for the chairmanship of the party.
Adeniran who had earlier said he was enjoying the support of the masses of the PDP, however, expressed the hope that the governor “will lead the Ekiti state delegation to support me at the convention.”
“My governor that you referred to was interested in contesting the presidency of this country and I believe that he thought that, well, it will be impossible for us to have the president and national chairman from the same place.
“Now the more he realizes that the party has taken a decision that our president, by the grace of God, in 2019, will come from the North, the more he realizes the reason to stand by the method decided by the party.
“The more he will realize the position taken by the party at the convention is a reality, the more he will support his brother Adeniran for the chairman,” the aspirant said.
In fact I expect that he will lead the Ekiti state delegation to support me at the convention.
Earlier, the chairman of the National Caretaker Committee, Senator Ahmed Makarfi explained that, the peace accord signed by the chairmanship aspirants acknowledged that the party has zoned the presidency to the North and chairmanship to South.
He further explained: “In the peace accord which we have signed, you categorically stated that by the south, you meant all the states in the south and by the North all the states in the North.
“If aspirants themselves came to a conclusion, develop a document and sign it, it is very unfair to hear accusations that the caretaker committee has refused to do some things that we have no powers to do.
“We also did say that wherever there is a political arrangement whether in the North or south to push for consensus, we will acknowledge it.
“But we also said that we have no power to force delegates but it can form a basis for campaign.
“To continue to issue press releases condemning the caretaker committee which is completely contrary to the document you signed you people should be able to call such a person to order if you mean well for this party.”
