A former Senate President, David Mark, and a governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ekiti, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, have hailed the outcome of the ward congresses conducted on Saturday in the state.
Five hundred and thirty one delegates were elected across the 177 wards in the state in the election.
They are to join other automatic delegates of the party in choosing a governorship candidate at the primary on May 8.
Speaking with journalists on Sunday, Mark, who is the leader of the PDP Congresses Committee, described the exercise as “successful and peaceful,” adding that the committee had not received any report to the contrary.
He, however, promised that his committee would treat every complaint on merit, adding that the party would win the coming governorship election.
On some governorship aspirants that had defected from the party, Mark said the party would invite those concerned with a view to addressing their grievances.
Meanwhile, Adeyeye has protested against the results in three Local Government Areas: Ikere, Ikole and Oye, asking the Mark committee to nullify them because of “extreme thuggery and tearing of nomination forms.”
Ikere is the hometown of the Deputy Governor, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, who is also contesting in the governorship primary.
Adeyeye, however, commended the committee for doing a good job, expressing hope that the party’s primary slated for May 8 would be free and fair.
Adeyeye said he had petitioned the three-man committee in writing urging the committee not to sweep his complaint under the carpet.
He said, “In many of the local governments, the rules were strictly adhered to. But I want the security agencies and the committee to investigate the crisis in Ikere where Gbenga Ayeni was beaten with charms and many people were beaten up by thugs.
“The problem in Oye is that some thugs went to Ayede, tore the nomination forms and even brought the torn forms to my house, thugs were also used to disperse the people. People could not come out to vote because of fear.
“At Ikole, results of five wards were satisfactory but we rejected results of seven wards.
“Overall, we are happy, the job was difficult but they did their best. Beyond that, it has been the best delegates’ election ever conducted by the PDP in history. They (Mark-committee) did their best to be fair to everyone.”