Ekiti PDP Senator ignores Fayose, declares support for Sheriff

While the Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, champions the movement against Ali Sheriff as Peoples Democratic Party chairman, a senator from his state has declared full support for Mr. Sheriff.

Mr. Sheriff has been recognised as PDP chairman by the Court of Appeal. But Mr. Fayose, who heads the PDP Governors Forum, and other party leaders have restated their opposition to Mr. Sheriff and vowed to appeal the judgement at the Supreme Court.

However, on Sunday, Fatimat Raji-Rasaki, who represents Ekiti Central Senatorial District said Mr. Sheriff was the authentic national chairman of the PDP.

She made the declaration on Sunday in Ado-Ekiti while speaking with journalists at the end of a three-day capacity building training on ICT she organised for 100 beneficiaries in her constituency.

Mrs. Raji-Rasaki’s declaration comes days after another senator from Bayelsa State, Ben Murray-Bruce also declared support for Mr. Sheriff saying there was no need for further litigations.

On Sunday, Mrs. Raji-Rasaki, who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Trade and Investment, said the era of impunity was dead in the PDP.

She said that the Court of Appeal judgment which affirmed Mr. Sheriff as the national chairman of PDP had afforded the party an opportunity to put its house in order.

The lawmaker, who belongs to a rival PDP faction in Ekiti different from the governor’s, said the recent developments in Ekiti and at the national level, would enable the PDP prepare ahead of the 2019 general elections.

She described the Court of Appeal judgment as a “new lease of life’’ for members of the party.

The senator, who distributed free laptops to participants who attended the training, stressed that anybody that wants to make impact in today’s world must be empowered technologically.

She urged the beneficiaries to put into practice what they learnt at the training.

Mrs. Raji-Rasaki expressed sadness that impunity, lawlessness, violation of the PDP constitution and abuse of power by people whose names she did not mention, had negatively affected the party’s fortunes before the judgment.

She expressed hope that the PDP would emerge stronger from its crises to be a party that would allow equity, justice, fair play, adherence to due process and the principles of democracy to thrive.

The senator expressed satisfaction that the judiciary intervened and resolved the protracted crises rocking the party.

She lauded the Ekiti chapter of the party for affirming Williams Ajayi as the authentic state chairman.

She alleged that some individuals in the PDP had turned the party into their personal property where party congresses and primaries elections to elect candidates were hijacked.

She added that members of the party were not allowed to choose candidates of their choice.

She said: “Crisis in any political party is part of democracy because we disagree to agree.

“We, the authentic PDP, are being led by Ali Modu Sheriff and we thank God that the court judgment has put an end to impunity in our party.

“Impunity is one thing that destroys any organisation or association where people decide and subscribe to rules and regulations guiding them.

“It is a pity that some people turned the PDP to a place where one person will corner everything and turn it to PLC.

“A party is supposed to be where everybody has a say because we are in a democracy

“In Ekiti, the authentic executive has won in court as well, so in the PDP, we have no option than to obey the rule of law.”