Former Governor Ayo Fayose has gone digital in his attacks against Senate Minority Leader Biodun Olujimi.
The battle between the two leaders has polarised the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the January 14 visit of the presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar for a rally in Ado-Ekiti.
Fayose and Olujimi had on Tuesday set up parallel PDP Presidential Campaign Councils with offices at different locations in Ado-Ekiti with their loyalists queuing up behind them.
Olujimi, who represents Ekiti South in the Red Chamber of the National Assembly, accused Fayose of drawing a list of members contrary to the one agreed by party stakeholders.
But Fayose, in a video circulated on various social media platforms seen by our reporter on Thursday, called on the people of the state to vote against Olujimi in the February 16 National Assembly polls.
Olujimi has former Minister of State for Works, Prince Dayo Adeyeye of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as main opponent in the battle for Ekiti South senatorial chair.
Fayose, who wore a white long sleeve kaftan over a white pairs of
trousers with a black cap to match, advised Ekiti electorate to vote
Atiku and other PDP candidates expect Olujimi.
The video, which lasts 13 seconds, has gone viral on Facebook, YouTube and other social media platforms.
In the video, Fayose said: “Ekiti Kete o, my name is Ayo Peter Fayose, Osokomole. My beloved teachers, my beloved workers, okada riders and entire people of Ekiti State.
“I commend to you, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, our President-in-waiting. I commend to you all candidates of PDP in Ekiti except Senator Abiodun Olujimi.
“That is, we must not return Abiodun Olujimi to the Senate. I know you will do exactly what I ask you to do.
“I love you and may God bless you, this is Act 1, Scene 1.”
But Olujimi said: “The right-thinking party leaders and members” are not surprised about Fayose’s latest campaign against a candidate of his party.
In a telephone chat with our reporter, Olujimi who spoke through the Director General of her Campaign, Chief Bunmi Olugbade, said Fayose has a history of anti-party activities which reached a climax with defeat of the PDP in the 2018 governorship poll in Ekiti State.
The senator, who described Fayose as a “wounded lion roaring ready to devour anybody he meets on his way,” said her campaign is on course and would not be distracted by the tirades of the ex-governor.
Olujimi said: “Fayose has a chronicle of anti-party activism since his election in 2014 and you will recall that during the first anniversary of his return to power, he invited (former Osun governor), Rauf Aregbesola, an APC man to deliver the keynote address.
“Fayose disbanded the state party structure which led to the defection of prominent party stalwarts after he disallowed them from having a say in the affairs of the party.
“Eighty per cent of the candidates in other parties who contested the last governorship election left PDP due to high-handedness and dictatorial tendencies of Fayose.
“At the height of the crisis in the party, Fayose vowed to drive the vehicle of the PDP aground and we were not surprised that he lost an election even as an incumbent governor.
“What he (Fayose) is doing is not a surprise to anybody but party
members are prepared for him. We are not bamboozled by his ranting.
“Party leaders at the national level and in the Southwest have
excellent confidence in the ability of Senator Olujimi. She is not a
person that can be rattled by the ranting of a failure.
“The glory that was lost under the hegemony of Fayose will be restored under the leadership of Olujimi.”
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