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The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has lost five of its candidates standing-in for the 25th February, 2023 National Assembly elections in Ekiti State.
This is on the heels of the expulsion of some members, including five candidates from Ekiti State, by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) as announced by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba on Friday, 10 February, 2023.
According to Ologunagba, the members were expelled for ‘anti-party activities and other grave offences in violation of the party’s constitution’. He also said that the expulsion takes immediate effect.
The five members from Ekiti State include Lateef Oladimeji Ajijola (Ekiti Central Senatorial Candidate), Olalere James Olayinka (Ekiti Central Federal Constituency 2 Candidate), Fayose Oluwajomiloju John (Ekiti Central Federal Constituency 1 Candidate), Akerele Oluyinka (Ekiti North Federal Constituency I Candidate) and Emiola Adenike Jennifer (Ekiti South Federal Constituency 2 Candidate). Those expelled in other States are Sen. Chimaroke Nnamani (Enugu State) and Hon. Chris Ogbu (Imo State).
However, the expulsion of these five Ekiti State PDP Candidates is coming barely two weeks to the National Assembly general election. Arising from their expulsion, it is constitutionally clear that the said Candidates are not eligible to stand in for the election based on the provisions of Section 65(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) as long as the expulsion stands since they cannot be the beneficiaries of whatever vote is casted for the party to which they belonged as at the time of their nomination to INEC as Candidates.
The provision says thus: ‘’A person shall be qualified for election under subsection 1 of this section if:
(a) he has been educated to at least School Certificate Level or to its equivalent and
(b) he is a member of a political party and is sponsored by that party.’’
Section 101(e) of the Electoral Act 2022 also stated expressly that any candidate contesting for an elective position in Nigeria must duly be a member of a political party and must be sponsored by that party.
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Presently, the likes of Mr. Lateef Ajijola, the PDP Senatorial Candidate for Ekiti Central Senatorial District, Mr. Olalere Olayinka, the party’s candidate for House of Representatives in Ekiti Central II, Mr. John Fayose (son of the former Governor of the State, Ayodele Fayose), who is aspiring to represent Ekiti Central I Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, and the two other afore-mentioned candidates do not have a political platform upon which they are contesting.
Interestingly, the latest developments within Ekiti State chapter of the PDP are currently swinging the power equation in favour of the Senator Abiodun Olujimi faction. This is more buttressed by the fact that the Sadiq Obanoyen-led Caretaker Committee inaugurated by the party’s National Working Committee on January 20, 2023 is dominated by the members of the Olujimi faction of the State’s party Chapter.
In the last two years or more, the People’s Democratic Party in Ekiti State has seriously been enmeshed in a protracted leadership tussle between the Fayose faction and the Olujimi faction.
As the general election is around the corner, keen observers are waiting to see the probable implication of the lingering crisis on the performance of party in the coming elections.
