PDP lost Ekiti due to imposition ―Former deputy gov

A former deputy governor of Ekiti State and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Tae Lawal has attributed imposition of candidate for the lost of the state to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2018 governorship election in Ekiti.

Lawal spoke in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital during a meeting organised by leaders of the PDP towards repositioning the party for future elections.

He maintained that the party has learnt its lessons from the last governorship poll and would do everything possible to ensure all aspirants are given equal opportunities in transparent and credible primaries of the party.

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He said: “We are analysing the past with a view to face the future. Our congresses and primaries going forward will be transparent and be fair so that popular candidates will emerge. We have made mistakes in the past and we are ready to correct them now. Ekiti is PDP state and we represent almost 70 per cent of the citizens in the state. No doubt, imposition failed us during the governorship election last year.”

Also speaking, a former South West National chairman of the party, Chief Makanjuola Ogundipe explained that the meeting was called to put the party in its rightful position ahead of future elections.

“To bring PDP back to its winning prowess. There is no division in the party as being erroneously speculated. There is no going to be imposition because we have discovered the damages imposition done to us in PDP in the past. We are not going to do that any longer. We want to mobilise the grassroots to select their leaders devoid of any form of imposition,” Ogundipe said.

On his part, a former party chairman in the state, Senator Clement Awoyelu noted that the meeting would further strengthen the party in readiness for the 2023 governorship election.

He called on the members of the party who was aggrieved to come back to the party, adding that PDP had continued to put in place strategies that would allow the voice of every member to be recognised.