Ekiti 2018: Olowoporoku picks NDCP governorship ticket

A former senator, Bode Olowoporoku, has emerged the candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress Party (NDCP) for the July 14 governorship election in Ekiti State.

Mr Olowoporoku, who was Minister of Science and Technology in the Second Republic, defeated Kunle Oluwalana, at the primary election of the party conducted in Ado-Ekiti on Monday.

The ex-senator polled 25 votes to beat Oluwalana who received five votes.

Mr Olowoporoku was one of the aspirants who contested for the ticket of the Mega Party of Nigeria (MPN) last Saturday, abandoning the party after alleging irregularities.

The ticket of MPN went to Sunday Balogun, who emerged tops from the contentious primaries.

Mr Olowoporoku and his supporters immediately defected to the NDCP.

The national leader of the NCDP, Johnson Edosomwan, described the primary as free, fair and transparent and commended delegates for conducting themselves peacefully throughout the process.

He described Mr Olowoporoku as “an experienced and committed grassroots politician capable of winning the next governorship poll.”

Mr Edosomwan said the party was poised to win the Ekiti governorship poll.

According to him, NDCP will create jobs, reduce poverty, provide quality healthcare delivery, and invest in agriculture to boost food security if voted into office in July.

He also predicted that Mr Olowoporoku would win the election because “he was closer to the grassroots and the manifesto of the party had the masses as its main focus.”

Mr Edosomwan cautioned the electorate against allowing financial inducement to determine their choice of candidates for the governorship seat as their future hung on the ballots.