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From Priscilla Ediare, Ado-Ekiti
Engr. Mrs Kemi Elebute-Halle, the candidate of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) for the June 18 governorship election in Ekiti State, has declared that Mr Sunday Afuye, is still the deputy governorship candidate of the party, regardless of his recent purported defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
The female governorship candidate, who boasted that the growing popularity of the ADP ahead of the election has become a threat to other political parties, including the APC in the state, maintained that this was why one of the major parties was making effort to distract the party using whom she described as having their two legs astride, with one leg inside the ADP and the other in another party.
Elebute-Halle stated these on Sunday, in Ado-Ekiti, when she addressed a World Press Conference, where she said that Afuye, is still the deputy governorship candidate for the forthcoming poll until the electoral act does otherwise.
Shedding more light on Afuye’s defection, she said, “Up till now, it is a speculation. My deputy governorship candidate is yet to formally leave the party. He only quit the party but not resigned. We are yet to be informed about this.
” Whatever he has done, it is deemed to be done under duress and for political reason. Those who pushed him into it, failed to recognise the fact that, the moment one is enlisted in the INEC published list, there is no going back.
“Afuye still remains deputy governorship candidate of the party until the electoral act decides otherwise. I hope he will trace his steps back to ADP. If he really want to leave, he must follow the process as dictated by the electoral law. I am sure APC is aware of this.
“So, if it is not politically expedient and permissible, he will not go scot free, if not the status quo remains”.
On the claim by Afuye that he left ADP to APC with twenty thousand supporters, she said, “Afuye brought only himself to ADC and left only with himself. He never brought anybody to the party and nobody went with him”.
The ADP candidate said no political party in the state, not even the ruling party has been able to do what ADP has done across the state in the last three months.
“In the last eleven weeks, we have been able to traverse 147 out of the 177 available wards in the state to canvass for the votes of the people.
“This is beyond anybody buying people conscience through vote buying. It is to demonstrate to the people what democracy should be.
“You don’t have to coerce people to buying into your project but they will ordinary accept your project if it will meet their needs”.
While stating that people believed women deserve to occupy the position after the creation of the state 24 years ago, she said there is no form of propaganda that can stop her.
Elebute-Halle who revealed that APC has been approaching her to join it, while others claimed she was working for SDP said she has invested so much time and resources into the race such that there is no place for being a sell out.
“I will never betray the confidence my teeming supporters repose in me, even if I will be the only one to vote for myself on the day of election “.
