A governorship aspirant in the just concluded Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary, Dayo Adeyeye, has said he is defecting to another party in order to realise his ambition of providing rapid development in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Adeyeye, who polled 771 votes out of the 1,986 cast during the primary, made this known on Thursday in Ado-Ekiti.
Adeyeye, a former minister of state for works said he would announce his new platform in the next 40 hours, stressing that no fewer than five parties had offered him their platforms to contest the July 14, governorship election in the state.
The report says the former PDP spokesman made the announcement shortly after consulting with his supporters on the next line of action as a result of his loss of the primary election to the state’s deputy governor, Prof Kolapo Olusola-Eleka.
He alleged that the victory of Olusola-Eleka at the primary was merely to extend the tenure of Gov. Ayo Fayose.
Adeyeye reportedly alleged that asking the delegates to wear uniform (aso ebi) was a ploy by the incumbent governor to impose his deputy as the PDP governorship candidate.
He also pointed out that the pattern of voting at the venue of the primary based on local government areas instilled fear in many delegates that they were being monitored.
“I am leaving the party because the party can change but your state cannot change, the party can change, your hometown cannot change.
“I can’t be part of enslavement, I can’t be part of corruption, I can’t be part of those keeping our people in poverty but spend billions of naira on chartered flights to Abuja every year and will be riding okada (commercial motorcycle) at home.
“Our party leaders in Abuja were surprised at my performance at the primary despite the intimidation but I told them that I can change party, party may go into extinction but Ekiti will remain,” he said arguing that it would not make sense that Ekiti be ruined due to party affiliation.
“I will not, because of party affiliation, allow Ekiti to be destroyed. That is why we will take decision today on where we are going.
“Since Tuesday, civil servants, teachers, local government workers have become sad. Ekiti has been enveloped in mourning.
“What is paramount in my mind is to liberate Ekiti. Today, we will not reveal where we are going yet, but we are no longer where we were before,” he said