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From Priscilla Ediare, Ado-Ekiti
A group loyal to the Senator representing Ekiti South Senatorial District in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State, named ‘Repositioning Group’, has debunked the claim that it has defected with former Governor Segun Oni, who is now the candidate of the Social Democratic Party(SDP).
The group insisted that members have resolved and coalesced into the PDP loyal to former Governor Ayodele Fayose to work for the party’s candidate, Bisi Kolawole, in the June 18 governorship poll.
Oni, who officially defected to SDP, on Wednesday, had claimed that members of the Southwest Agenda for Tinubu 2023 presidential aspiration(SWAGA) in the All Progressives Congress and the PDP Repositioning Group have coalesced into a coalition that would power his ambition in SDP.
But a statement, on Thursday, by the Chairman of the Ekiti PDP Repositioning Group, Engr. Alaba Agboola, said there was nowhere the group met with Engr. Oni, or his agents to discuss any grand coalition.
Agboola added that after the PDP governorship primary election that produced Kolawole as candidate of the party, groupings in the party ceased to exist, saying this accounted for why the major arrowhead of the body, Otunba Yinka Akerele, is now the Director General of Bisi Kolawole Campaign Organization.
“Members of the Ekiti PDP Repositioning Group are not political harlots who move from parties to parties and as such cannot be part of any coalition with Oni, who obviously came to the PDP from the APC just for the purpose of using the PDP platform to contest the election.
“Most importantly, two aspirants from the Repositioning Group, Otunba Yinka Akerele and Alhaji Lateef Ajijola, who contested the PDP primary election are fully with the party’s candidate.
“Therefore, members of the Repositioning Group are in PDP and in PDP will they remain and work with other members and supporters of the party to win the June 18 governorship election.”
“Engr. Segun Oni should desist from this name dropping that could mislead the general public”.
It was, however, gathered that a faction of the Senator Olujimi’s group had resolved to work with Oni in SDP, thereby creating a cleavage in the group, even when the federal lawmaker, who is having a strain relationship with Fayose is yet to give any directive to members.
