Breaking: Governor Seyi Makinde Is My Leader, Ayodele Fayose Publicly Declares.

Breaking: Governor Seyi Makinde Is My Leader, Ayodele Fayose Publicly Declares

Former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, on Monday, publicly declared Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State as his leader at the ongoing Southwest Zonal Congress of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osogbo, the Osun state capital.

Newsmen reported that the South West PDP has been embroiled in crisis, leading to the delay in holding the zonal congress to elect zonal leaders of the party.

However, the congress was finally scheduled to hold on Monday, April 12, 2021 in Osogbo after the date, and the venue was shifted.

Also the Screening Committee chairman, Senator Dino Melaye was replaced with governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state.

Both Fayose and Makinde are not on the ballot, they have anointed candidates for the election.

Makinde is said to be backing a former deputy governor of Oyo State, Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja, Fayose is said to be rooting for the return of the immediate past national vice chairman of the party in the zone, Dr. Eddy Olafeso, who is from Ondo.

All efforts to reconcile Makinde and Fayose by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP, Senator Bukola Saraki-led National Reconciliation Committee, and Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State have proved abortive.

The camp loyal to Fayose had petitioned the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus over “alleged release of over 150 ballot papers for the election of national vice chairman and zonal secretary to the group led by the Oyo State Governor, Engr Seyi Makinde.”

The petition dated April 10, was signed by the Chairman of Ogun State, Dr Sikirulai Ogundele, on behalf of the PDP Chairmen in Ekiti, Lagos, and Osun states.

The chairmen, who demanded that all ballot papers to be used for the congress should be signed by Secondus, said they will resist any attempt to rig or hijack the process.

The spokesman of Fayose, Lere Olayinka, said the camp loyal to the former governor would participate in the election.

The Chief Press Secretary to Governor Makinde, however, said his principal is dedicated to stabilising the PDP in the South West.

The PDP top echelon has also assured that it would do everything transparently possible to ensure what happened in the North West Zonal Congress did not reoccur in the South West.