A former Ekiti State Deputy Governor and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Ekiti South Senatorial aspirant, Professor Kolapo Olusola-Eleka, has withdrawn from the race.
Adducing reasons for his action in a letter personally signed by him to the leadership of the PDP, Professor Eleka attributed to his withdrawal to former Governor Ayodele Fayose’s alleged insecurity and double standard on the matter.
Fayose is said to have endorsed former House of Representatives member Segun Adekola for the Ekiti South Senatorial seat.
Recall that Professor Eleka was Fayose’s deputy his anointed candidate in the 2018 Governorship poll in Ekiti fell out with his principal after she lost the contest to Dr Kayode Fayemi of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The cause of their disagreement was not initially noticed until Fayose dumped him (Eleka) for another candidate in the 2022 Governorship poll to adopt former PDP State Chairman Fayose’s new anointed candidate.
In the letter entitled “Notification of Withdrawal From Senatorial Contest,” the former Deputy governor explained that the decision to run for the senate seat came from Fayose after sending emissaries to placate him to join the race.
The letter reads: “I wish to notify the national leadership of our esteemed party of my voluntary withdrawal from participating in the forthcoming People’s Democratic Party senatorial contest in Ekiti State.
“Your Excellency will recall that I contested for the last governorship primary election in which I came third. As a patriotic party man who is determined to protect the interest and ethos of the party, I congratulated the winner, Otunba Bisi Kolawole who is currently the candidate of the party.
“It is expedient to note, however, that the senatorial ambition was the making of former Governor Ayodele Fayose. I received emissaries from him to contest. After much pressure from concerned stakeholders, I decided to pick up the challenge to represent the party in my senatorial district.
“To my great surprise, Mr Ayodele Fayose who openly endorsed my candidacy for senate in my town, discretely aided another person from the same constituency to pick the same senatorial form.
“The above left me with no choice but to consider his endorsement as a facade and decoy.
“Having consulted widely on the foregoing with my teeming supporters across the sixteen (16) Local Governments, I have decided not to dwell where there is no sincerity of purpose but an arrogant display of deception and hence, pull out from the contest.
“The integrity I have built over the years is beyond any ambition. I am available for further arrangements that will unite the party in the build-up to the general election, slated to hold on 18th June 2022.
“Your Excellency is hereby assured of my utmost commitment to the party at the state and beyond.”
