Chairmanship position: Aspirant vows to resist consensus arrangement in Ekiti PDP

A chairmanship aspirant for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State, Dr Tope Aluko, has rejected moves by some stakeholders who were pushing for consensus to fill the seat in the April 2 State congress of the party.

Addressing journalists in Ado-Ekiti, on Tuesday, on the reported endorsement of Bisi Kolawole as the consensus candidate, Aluko said such can’t be applicable with the multiplicity of candidates in the race.

Aluko, former State Secretary of the party added that the fact that a group under the auspices of the PDP elders’ forum endorsed Kolawole didn’t translate to consensus allegedly being pushed by a certain interest in the party.

The PDP elders, led by Chief Idowu Odeyemi, had last Saturday endorsed Kolawole, former Commissioner and ex-member of the State House of Assembly, who is also being promoted by former Governor Ayodele Fayose for the seat.

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But Aluko maintained that only the interested aspirants can reach consensus among themselves to avert unnecessary heated election in the PDP, being the main opposition party in the state.

He said such move can’t be imposed on the party, warning that it would lead to a crisis of monumental proportion that would be difficult for the party to resolve.

“I was at the forum where we met with the PDP elders. It was more of consultation by Kolawole and the endorsement by the elders doesn’t translate to any form of consensual agreement in our party.

“The constitution of the party is very clear, once any of the aspirants insists on the election, consensus can’t work, it can’t be imposed. A lot of groups have adopted my aspiration and I never regarded this as consensual agreement. The proponents of consensus are causing confusion among our members.

“I want my supporters to be firm and discountenance such rumour because I am still in the race and I remain committed to the cause of winning and rebrand our party and return it to its winning streak in Ekiti,” Aluko said.