Stakeholders in the Ekiti State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have called on a former Senate minority leader, Biodun Olujimi step in to rescue the party from political oblivion in the state.
The party in the last few years has been faced with serious crisis evident in the poor performance of the PDP in the state in the last election cycles.
The party leaders and stakeholders who converged on Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, at the weekend, agreed that there is need for the party to regain its lost glory and fortunes, pleading with Senator Olujimi to spearhead the repositioning of the Ekiti PDP.
In a communique released after the expanded meeting and made available to Nigerian Tribune, the leaders alleged that the activities of a former governor, Ayodele Fayose had negatively affected the growth and development of the party.
The communique was co-signed by former members of the state Assembly, Dr Samuel Omotoso and Hon Wale Ayeni and the representative of committee of local government chairmen, Oluyemi Ajanaku.
The communique read: “PDP in Ekiti State had been in a state of political stupor due to the negativism of the retired leader of the party, His Excellency Ayo Fayose, who has consistently demarketed the party at every opportunity.
“Rising from several previous stakeholders’ meeting across the length and breadth of Ekiti State, the party leaders resolved to plead with Her Excellency Senator Abiodun Olujimi to pick up the mantle of leadership and provide the missing link to political success for the party again in Ekiti.
“The representatives of the leaders selected across the 16 local government areas visited Senator Olujimi and delivered the very loud demand of the party to her and encouraged her to rise up as the rallying point for Ektii State PDP.
“Speaking at the events, Dr Omotoso, Honourable Wale Ayeni and all reiterated the need for clarity of purpose and the preparedness of the party in Ekiti to do everything possible to avoid the impending doom that awaits it, should we fail to meet up to the exigencies of the moment in positive leadership.”
“Also present at the meeting were the Publicity Secretaries of the party both at the state and southwest region, Rapheal Adeyanju and Chief Sanya Atofarati, respectively.
“Atofarati emphasized on the need for a rallying point that will galvanize support for the party which he believes Senator Biodun Olujimi reserves the capability to deliver, owing to her vast reach within the party hierarchies, not only in Ekiti State but also across the southwest region while calling on all other well-meaning leaders and stakeholders of the party to support her.”
The communique quoted Olujimi as having “thanked the party leaders for the visit; she said there is nowhere else to call our own other than PDP and all hands must be on deck to bring PDP back to winnings ways.
“She promised to unite the party and work with other leaders to achieve the overall success in subsequent elections.”