By Taiwo Adeyemi 

Lere Olayinka, Spokesperson to the Former Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose has said the former Vice-president, Atiku Abubakar should jettison his 2027 presidential election for peace for reign in the People Democratic Party, PDP. 

Olayinka made the remarks in an exclusive interview programme “E ba wa dasi” on Diamond FM, Ilorin, Kwara State on Tuesday, 22nd  October, 2024.

He maintained that Atiku and his cohorts decision  to leave the party prior to 2015 general election  made the party to lose its sixteen years reign in Nigeria. 

“PDP was defeated in 2015 because Atiku and some people that are saying they own the party now left the party to support APC which caused our defeat”.

“When he was molested in the APC, he ran back to PDP in 2019, we allowed him  to contest for President after the election, he left for Dubai, when it was two years to 2023 election, he came back again to run, he can’t be eating all our efforts”.

“It was people like me, Fayose and Wike that stayed in the party to fight the APC, I was imprisoned because of the party”. 

On the leadership crisis lingering in the party as some party chieftains are calling for the resignation of the acting National Chairman, Umar Damagun. Olayinka maintained that the party constitution recognizes north and south dichotomy in sharing of National Working Committee positions.

“The party constitution is very clear, office is zoned between the north and the south, each zone can later microzone to a particular geo-political within its zone”.

“Those that are calling for the resignation of the acting National Chairman, the former occupant is from the North and the present acting chairman is from the North”. 

“If they are saying Iyorcha Ayu replacement must come from the north central, it means people from Benue State, from Ayu’ ward and local government must produce the next national chairman”.

Olayinka furthered that Dare Adeleke-led Caretaker Committee of the party in the Ekiti State has been acting without giving regard to Fayose.

“Adeleke was brought from Ibadan to lead the party in Ekiti, he came and appointed caretaker committees at the local government levels which was against the party constitution”. 

“He never invited Fayose to any of the party meetings, can someone come to Kwara State PDP without reaching out to Bukola Saraki”. 

“He should say the party has expelled us, they said Fayose is doing anti-party, what is the party doing at the state level?”.