We won’t allow Sheriff’s minority to hijack PDP – Ekiti chair

The Chairman of a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State, Gboyega Oguntuwase, has said that the party will not sit idly by and watch the minority following Senator Ali Modu Sheriff to take over the party.

Oguntuwase told newsmen in Ado Ekiti on Monday that the PDP in Ekiti State had vowed that “committed members of the party will resist attempt by Sheriff and other co-conspirators to hijack the party via legal technicality.”

According to Oguntunwase, Sheriff belonged to “a minority group with no national spread in the PDP to win any election,” saying “the Ahmed Makarfi’s group is the true face of the party with national outlook that can withstand and even surpass the All Progressives Congress (APC).”

The Ekiti PDP boss held that it would be foolhardy for the APC to be rejoicing over the factional crisis in the party in Ekiti and at the national level, saying “that hasn’t changed the fact that the opposition party has nothing to campaign in 2018, with records of huge debt burden left behind by ex-Governor Kayode Fayemi.”

He described the current issues in the party in the state, which is at the Court of Appeal, and the national troubles as “a passing phase that would eventually rejuvenate the PDP’s strength and make it more formidable for future polls.”

Oguntuwase said: “Though, the matter is pending before the Supreme Court of the land, but one thing we are assuring Nigerians is that, we won’t allow minority being led by Sheriff and Senator Buruji Kashamu to lord itself over the majority controlled by Makarfi.

“The majority is with Makarfi. The ‘who –is-who’ in the party like all the serving governors, ex-Ministers, members of the Board of Trustees and other people of means are under this umbrella.

“I want to align with what the Governor of Ekiti State and Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Mr Ayodele Fayose said about Sheriff that he is just a general without army. All the real lovers of the PDP like us are praying to God to give us a way out, so that fifth columnists like Sheriff and his ilk won’t ruin our party”, Oguntuase said.

On the 2018 governorship poll, Oguntuase said any group opposed to the one being controlled by Governor Fayose will wither before the election.

“The APC will be disappointed in 2018. How can they think that they can use those who can’t win election in their wards to divide Ekiti PDP? It will be a sign of foolishness for APC to be rejoicing over this crisis which I see as ephemeral thing.

“Governor Fayose is a man of the people and God’s chosen. No matter the legal encumbrance, those who have weights, capabilities and relevance to win elections are under Makarfi. The APC under Fayemi left huge indebtedness, so they have nothing to campaign with in Ekiti.

“Look at the slumped value of naira to a  dollar , look at the jacking up of pump price to N145 per litre, failure to give N5,000 to indigent Nigerians as they promised, electricity supply has drooped , in fact, the party had failed generally.

“Ekiti people will vote based on present and past records of parties in 2018. The immediate past Governor, Kayode Fayemi nearly ruined the state’s economy and the present APC’s performances at the national level will work against it.”