Outgoing Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose on Friday threatened to quit the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) over the outcome of the national convention.
He is believed to be unhappy with the emergence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the PDP presidential flag bearer at the primary held at Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
Fayose, who is the Chairman of the PDP Governor’s Forum, supported Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal at the national convention.
The Ekiti helmsman alongside his Rivers State counterpart Nyesom Wike rallied support for Tambuwal at the national convention.
Fayose, in a six-paragraph statement sent to reporters on Monday said he would continue with consultations and watch how events unfold in the umbrella party.
The statement which the governor personally signed was entitled: “Re: PDP National Convention.”
The statement read: “We have no regret aligning with Governor Wike to support Governor Tambuwal for the presidential ticket and no apologies either.
“We kept the party alive and strong when most men became ladies. We never compromised. If any group feels it can do it alone, we will see how far they can go.
“I may renounce my membership of the party if the need arises.
“In the main time, myself and others will continue with our consultations while watching the turn of event.
“We cannot but appreciate leaders that have intervened so far, but this release became necessary to avoid fresh crisis or misrepresentation.”
It remained unclear why Fayose wants to quit his beloved party as he gave no cogent reason in the statement.
Fayose had earlier declared interest in the Presidency but later withdrew before the official sale of nomination and expression of interest forms.
He was also said to be considered as the party’s presidential running at a time but the loss to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the July 14 governorship poll has put a dent on the ambition.
Fayose joined the PDP before the 2003 governorship poll which he won but had been in and out of the party at various times.
His supporters joined All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP), Progressives People’s Alliance (PPA) after his impeachment from office while he had a working agreement with the Action Congress (AC) in the 2009 governorship rerun election.
Fayose defected to the Labour Party (LP) in 2010 and ran as the Ekiti Central senatorial candidate in the 2011 general elections but lost to Senator Babafemi Ojudu.
He returned to the PDP in 2012 and ran again as its candidate in the 2014 governorship poll which he won.
Fayose, at various times, had boasted that he would never leave PDP but his latest threat to quit has been causing ripples since it broke Monday evening.
Recall that a former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar, was declared the winner of the party’s presidential primary, defeating the Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, Senate President Bukola Saraki, and eight others.
Fayose’s second term as governor of Ekiti State expires on October 16, 2018.
Details later…
Tag: Presidential Candidate
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Fayose threatens to dump PDP over emergence of Atiku as presidential candidate
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2019: Donald Duke emerges SDP presidential candidate
Former Governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke, has emerged as the Presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party for the 2019 general election.
Duke polled 812 votes to defeat his close rival, former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana, who polled 611 votes at the party’s National Convention held at Old Parade Ground, Abuja.
The Convention Returning Officer, Dr Abdul Isiaq, declaring the results of the presidential primary election at the early hours of Sunday, said Mr. John Dara, former Special Assistant to Lt. General Theophilus Danjuma, former Defence Minister, scored 104 votes.
He also announced that former Ambassador and former Minister, Prof. Iyorwuese Hagher
polled 72 votes; former Ambassador, Felix Osakwe scored 10 votes, while the number of invalid votes was 63.Duke in his acceptance speech, described his emergence as a collective victory for all aspirants that participated in the contest, as well for the party and the nation.
He said that primary was just a step in the contest, saying he will go through the nation to campaign and sell the party and it’s policies to citizens.
Duke called for the support of all aspirants, the party officials and Nigerians to win 2019 general election, saying “we will reawaken in Nigerians that yearning that we are destined to be, but we cannot do this alone.”
He said that Nigeria was not a divided nation but a country of common purpose.
“What divides us is inadequacy and wants, because in the face of this survival of the fittest comes in, which ought not to be so because there is more than enough for everyone.”
He said if Nigerians were productive and abide by rules and regulations, the nation would grow from strength to strength.
“This is what good governance is all about and that is what I stand for”.
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APC adopts direct primaries for presidential candidate
The National Executive Committee of the ruling All Progressives Congress on Thursday adopted the direct primary method for the selection of its presidential candidate, while states will be allowed to choose which of the methods best suits their peculiarities.
The party, however, said that states willing to use the direct primary method should write officially to the National Secretariat.
This was part of the resolutions reached by the party’s second highest decision-making body after its NEC meeting in Abuja on Thursday.
Details later…
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PDP must present popular presidential candidate in 2019 – Lawmaker
The only PDP member in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr Dipo Olorunrinu says the party needs a popular presidential candidate in order to reclaim power in the 2019 general elections.
Olorunrinu spoke in an interview newsmen in Lagos on Saturday.
He spoke against the backdrop of the recent declaration by President Muhammadu Buhari to seek re-election in 2019.
Expressing optimism that the party would reclaim power in 2019, Olorunrinu said “nothing is impossible in 2019 as long as the PDP presents a popular candidate.
“The party has apologised to Nigerians on whatever it might have done wrong.
“People should reconsider PDP; as the party has learnt how not to fail again.
“The PDP will take the bull by the horn; looking at the credibility of the candidate it will present.
“We don’t need a candidate that the party will begin to start selling.
“We need someone who is already selling himself or herself before the party begins to sell him or her.’’
On the increasing number of aspirants eyeing the PDP presidential ticket, the lawmaker said that a candidate with good credentials and credibility would help the party at the polls.
According to him, though everybody has the democratic right to contest the presidential ticket, the party should also consider experience, background, capability and credibility of would-be candidate.
“We don’t need time wasters to come on board. We need the PDP to be formidable to go against the ruling party at this moment.
“We need to listen to what the people at the grassroots are saying in selecting our candidate.
“We need to move in the direction people are going,’’ he said.
Olorunrinu urged the party to sell socio-economic recovery and inclusive governance to the people.
The lawmaker advised the party to repackage itself for a good outing in the 2019 general elections.
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2019: Okorocha lied; I never underrated governors in choice of APC presidential candidate – Tinubu
The National leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has said he never at any time played down the importance of state governors in choosing the 2019 presidential flag bearer of the party.
TheNewsGuru.com reports that Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State had earlier accused Tinubu during a recent visit to the Afenifere leaders in Akure of saying governors have no roles in the emergence of a presidential flag bearer of the party.
Tinubu in a statement by his media office however said the accusation was not true adding that what he said in that encounter with journalists in Akure “and still canvasses is that the APC should not mimic the PDP’s penchant for short-circuiting internal democracy by promoting the idea of an automatic ticket”.
Recall that Okorocha had said also earlier said that all the APC Governors had endorsed President Buhari for re-election, thus implying that the governors had given the President an automatic ticket for 2019.
Asked to respond to the issue after a meeting with Afenifere leader Pa Fasoranti in Akure, Tinubu said such was strange to the party and that President Buhari is a man who believes in due process.
Okorocha, however, interpreted that to mean a slight on the party’s governors.
Speaking with journalists in Akure after receiving an honourary doctorate degree at the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State on Saturday, he said his statement referred to the party’s governors and that Tinubu was crying more than the bereaved.
In a statement on Monday in Lagos, Tinubu’s Media Adviser, Mr. Tunde Rahman, said: “We note Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha’s statement. It is important that the record of what Asiwaju Tinubu said when approached by journalists during his last visit to Akure is accurate. Thus, I make this statement in the hope of clarifying a misinterpretation that seems to have taken hold in some quarters.
“I was at the interview session. Asiwaju never said anything that could be interpreted as meaning or even implying the governors are irrelevant or insignificant to the party’s nomination process. As a former governor and a leading statesman within the party, such words would never come from him.
“Moreover, Asiwaju is a democrat who believes that the open and democratic processes of the APC, which led to the nomination of President Buhari in the first instance, have served the party well and has helped distinguish APC from PDP and other parties where fairness and internal democracy are rare commodities.
“Every individual has a right to endorse or support a candidate of his choosing. What Asiwaju said at that encounter and still canvasses is that the APC should not mimic the PDP’s penchant for short-circuiting internal democracy by promoting the idea of an automatic ticket. The exercise of internal democracy and honoring the letter and spirit of party rules can only strengthen the party and enthuse its members.
“APC’s all-inclusive philosophy was not devised today. It had been with the party since its creation. It was this spirit, which we believe, attracted fellow progressives and those who genuinely believe in democracy in all of its aspects to the party. Asiwaju includes Governor Okorocha in this group.
“The APC Governors are essential and important voices in the party. Asiwaju values and respects each one of them and gives their individual and collective opinions much weight. Yet, in the exercise of our opinions and support for candidates, we all must be guided and never lose clear sight to the democratic ideals that separate the APC from the other parties. We must maintain the integrity of the processes no matter how clear-cut a decision or an outcome may seem to be. With regard to democracy, the process is of equal import as the outcome itself.
“This is the essence of what Asiwaju said that day in Akure. He merely asked APC members to adhere to the democratic path that thus far has served the party so well. There can be no true dispute with such a sentiment.”