The former governor of Ekiti State and People’s Democratic Party governorship aspirant for the 2022 governorship election, Segun Oni, has said the major opposition party will resist any attempt by any party or group to rig the next year’s poll.
Oni also boasted that the party will galvanise support from the members of the public to dislodge the All Progressives Congress from the Ekiti government house, describing the voter apathy that dogged Saturday’s council polls as an indication of the nosediving acceptability of the APC in the state.
Oni spoke in Ado Ekiti yesterday at a rally organised by a coalition of two groups: Ekiti PDP Progressives, led by Wale Ayeni and Dominion group, spearheaded by Eniola Eponlolaye, to mobilise the masses for the former governor ahead of the PDP primary.
The rally was attended by a large number of party followers and admirers, who marched from the popular Fajuyi Park via Ijigbo to Ajilosun area.
The long convoy of vehicles and party members guarded by combined forces of security agencies had caused a serious traffic logjam along Ado-Ikere road for over three hours.
Addressing the crowd of party supporters, the former governor said his popularity keeps soaring among the masses of Ekiti on the premise that he didn’t loot the treasury while in the saddle of governance between 2007 and 2010.
Oni expressed confidence that he would triumph in the poll if given the party’s ticket, while also assuring that the national leadership of the party would be fair to all aspirants in the conduct of the primary.
“PDP doesn’t want to lose and the people who will vote in the primary know who can win for us. Though I am contesting with the aim to get the ticket, I won’t be a desperate person to achieve this. If you gauge the mood in town now, Ekiti is friendly with PDP and we shouldn’t miss that opportunity.
“This really was conceptualised to send a signal to APC after the wishy-washy local government elections of Saturday.
“It is wisdom for whoever becomes governor not to get to office and loot. If I had looted, I would not have been popular and acceptable as I am today in Ekiti. Rather than looting, spend the money for the people by way of good roads, water, good schools, scholarship and all that, so that they won’t forget you.
“PDP is a strong force and party in Ekiti and I am of the view that our national leaders would do the right thing in our primary. We don’t want to pick a candidate that would be too weak to win.
“PDP is not planning to rig and that is why we must get the right candidate, but we will resist and botch any attempt to rig the election. What you are seeing today was a signal that we are ready to take over Ekiti.
“Those who did vote buying in the past are regretting it now. They are even raising curses and abuses on those who gave them money and now fumbling in government”.
Oni described as erroneous thinking, the fear that Fayose was firmly in charge of the State Working Committee, led by the Acting Chairman, Hon. Lanre Omolase.
“Nobody is controlling the SWC. You will be insulting the gentlemen and ladies for you to say they are being controlled by anyone. To me, they are independent-minded people, who should see building the Ekiti PDP as their main focus”.
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