THE SUCCESS OF EKITI STATE PDP GUBERNATORIAL PRIMARIES- ANOTHER LANDMARK FOR GOVERNOR OKOWA

By Chris Odia.

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has continued to demonstrate that the old adage- “The downfall of a man is not the end of his life” was well thought out because it transcends human realm to institutions and organisations.

After the unexpected defeat of the Government in power in 2015 and the consequent cross-carpeting and decamping of legislators and members of the PDP to the APC, political watchers were quietly beginning to write off the PDP. In fact not a few were bold to openly call it a dead party.

Surprisingly though peculiar with fair weather politicians, was the fact that so many previously high ranking PDP members, whose action/inactions actually combined to drag the Party to its kneel were also not left out in the derogatory statement against the Party.

The media was littered with the comments of these political bourgeoisies, suggestive of a party whose possibility of rising again was tied to some unseen powers or “miracle” of some sort.

While the predictions on the fate of the party continued, the incumbent party, APC, in an attempt to drive in the final nails on the ‘coffin’ of the PDP opened so many can of worms that revealed suspicious financial deals by high ranking PDP members, especially those who continued to identify with the party. Majority of those cases are subjects of litigation till date.

Sequel to all these, few Governors elected on the platform of the PDP and other ideological party faithful, rallied themselves together with a seeming ideology which in my own words is “Redeeming our Party through Proactive, Principled, and Pragmatic Deliveries”. I would frankly adjudge this ideological approach to be the baseline upon which the party is being repackaged for Nigerians, with a view to becoming a vibrant alternative to the APC.

Among several outings after the loss of 2015 presidential election to the APC, is the Ekiti State Gubernatorial Primaries held on Tuesday, May 8, 2018. Prior to the Primary election, the Party had set up a reconciliation team that sat together with several contending interests to come to a truce. The resolutions at the meeting were thereafter kept.

The stage being set to conduct the gubernatorial primaries, a trusted and trustworthy hand was required to organize the election in line with the new ideology; the search found no other person but Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa. Upon his shoulders was laid the onerous task of organizing credible primaries in Ekiti State.

H.E. Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa, having previously led the team that organized the non-elective and elective conventions of the party at Abuja in 2017, set out to conduct a free, fair and transparent election that would be acceptable to all. In his words, to aspirants and delegates, he assured them that their votes would count.

True to his words, the process was open and subject to a general interpretation that the electoral committee was not in for any patronage or jaundiced considerations to satisfy the desire of any friend or colleague.

Obviously, the body language of the electoral committee led by Gov. Okowa showed that they did not have a ‘favoured candidate’. No wonder when Sen. Olubumi stepped down and collapsed her structure into that of Adeyeye, there was palpable fear on the faces of some delegates who felt that it was now a case of ‘Anything can happen’.

At the conclusion of the election with the incumbent Governor’s candidate declared victorious, the visibly excited Gov. Ayo Fayose, declared in his closing remarks that Gov. Okowa would be hosted in Ekiti State until Friday, May 11, to help the APC conduct their gubernatorial primaries, which was earlier accompanied with fighting and disruption.

The working Governor has continued to demonstrate capacity in State administration, party politics and national assignments. He is principled in dealings, pragmatic in ideas and proactive in actions; no wonder he continues to beam the light in our democratic voyage to all and sundry.

Once again, he has achieved another landmark; all and sundry in Ekiti State received the result with equanimity and obviously would close rank and work together during the main election.

Without any doubt, Gov. Okowa is a political titan, with widespread acceptability that continues to spread across aboard as the days roll by, there is the need to pull strength together in support of his quest.

Let’s Bring Back Ekwueme in 2019!!!

OK.