Fifteen of the 16 aspirants that bought the form to contest for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP governorship ticket in Ekiti State has been cleared by the screening committee.
The committee leaded by the Senate Majority Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, cleared former Governor Ayodele Fayose, immediate past Minister of Police Affairs, Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade, Gbenga Aluko, Adedayo Adeyeye, and 11 others for the primaries scheduled for Saturday, March 15.
One of the candidates was disqualified allegedly for failing to produce evidence of dues paid to the party. The five member committee is expected to submit its report to the party’s National Chairman, Adamu Muazu today.
At the end of next Saturday’s primary election where a candidate would emerge for the party, the party’s standard bearer would face the incumbent governor, Kayode Fayemi of the All Progressives Congress for the June 21 Ekiti State Governorship election.
Meanwhile, there was a mild drama at the Wadata plaza when Senator Ndoma-Egba-led screening committee sent home one of the aspirants, Bolarinwa Oloyede, allegedly because her name was not among the 16 names sent to the Committee to screen.
However, Oloyede said that she could not meet up with last Thursday deadline for the submission of expression of interest form ahead of yesterday screening exercise because of the lingering fuel scarcity in the country where she had to queue for fuel in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State capital for four hours last Thursday, adding that she rushed to Lagos to catch a flight to Abuja but could not meet up.
Prior to the commencement of the screening exercise, Senator Ndoma-Egba who addressed the aspirants disclosed that the committee would give all a level playing field, would be transparent as well as carry out a thorough assignment, just as he said that the committee would be guided by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the PDP’ s constitution and the guideline of the party.
He also commended the aspirants, describing them as the party’s engine room, adding that whoever emerges would reclaim the state from Governor Kayode Fayemi.
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