Fayose prescribes Option A4 for Ekiti LG polls

GOVERNOR Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has prescribed Option A4 for the selection of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates for the coming local government elections in the state.

Governor Fayose stated this on Tuesday while hosting leaders of the party from Gbonyin, Efon and Ekiti East Local Government areas of the state at an interactive session.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Idowu Adelusi, on Tuesday, quoted the governor to have also warned aspirants in the election against dropping his name for political gains.

According to the statement, Fayose, while giving reasons for the possible adoption of the system, said it would help clear ambiguities and allow the most popular aspirants to emerge as the party candidates.

He said: “We are going to use Option A4 to choose our candidates for the coming local government election. In areas where the people have unanimously agreed on their candidate, there is no problem, but in any place where there is a single dissenting voice, primaries will be held.

“All aspirants should go into the field and work. Nobody should drop my name as having endorsed them. I hope to lead the team of party leaders that will go round to conduct the primaries where necessary. The party has spelt out the conditions for aspirants to meet, there is not going to be any deviation from that.

“As for women aspirants, while they may be asked to pay less fees than men, it is not that they will be given blanket ticket or get it on a platter of gold. A woman aspirant must also be popular among her people and be the preferred candidate.”

He urged party leaders and aspirants to mobilise people to the party and to ensure such people are registered in the ongoing voter’s registration exercise by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The governor said nobody is being blocked from aspiring to be the candidate of the party in the 2018 governorship election in the state, as the party would still conduct primary to pick its candidate.

Fayose warned against sabotage and said whoever is found wanting would be severely dealt with.

Option A4 was made popular during the regime of the Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida, where voters would queue openly behind their preferred candidates during elections.