Text Box: LP’s camp suffers setback as key leaders back Fayose
Chuks Okocha and Toba Suleiman
The governorship election on the platform of the Labour Party (LP) in Ekiti State, Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele, has rounded off his campaign activities with a roadshow around the state capital, Ado Ekiti, with assurance to emerge as the winner.
Bamidele, who toured all major streets in the state capital in a long motorcade also used the opportunity to debunk rumour about his purported withdrawal from the race.
Yesterday’s roadshow marked the end of the 90-day campaign rallies which Bamidele kicked off on the 23rd of March, 2014 at Ido Ekiti, which had also taken him to virtually all the 132 towns and villages in Ekiti State.
Bamidele who first addressed his teeming supporters at his Iyin-Ekiti country home also reassured residents of Ado Ekiti that he was the best candidate in the race.
He also denied his rumoured withdrawal from the race calling it the handiwork of his political detractors.
Bamidele, who was accompanied in the roadshow by party leaders and supporters visited the Ado Ekiti township market among other places.
While appreciating them for their support since he started his rally, Bamidele told voters in Ekiti to troop out in large numbers and cast their votes for him in a collective effort towards the rebirth of the state.
He also used the opportunity to further sell his party programmes which he described as people-oriented.
Meanwhile, a major crack has occurred in Bamidele’s camp as his supporters broke into two camps with majority backing a deal to support the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, in line with an agreement allegedly reached with the presidency and top leaders of the PDP in Abuja.
Competent sources reveal that the the Labour Party (LP) candidate and a governor from the South-west geopolitical zone had held series of meetings in Abuja on Tuesday and Wednesday night where agreements were reached on the need for Bamidele to withdraw from the race and declare support for the PDP candidate in line with an unwritten alliance between the two parties.
The meeting, which was also attended by the National Chairman of the PDP and a few other key government official resolved that Fayose will reserve offices for the LP when he eventually wins the election while the LP candidate will also be supported for an elective office in next years general elections.
It was however gathered that Bamidele, upon return to Ado Ekiti developed cold feet and hesitated on announcing the deal to his supporters most of whom had seen the futility of pursuing the governorship ambition without an alliance with either of PDP or APC.
Our correspondent gathered that majority of LP members believed the PDP was a better ally going by the situation on ground in the state as well as the fact that many of them actually decamped from the PDP to join Bamidele in pursuit of his governorship aspiration.
As at yesterday afternoon, a good number of the LP leadership in Ekiti state have reportedly met with Mr Ayo Fayose and decided to work for him in tomorrow’s polls.
With this development, the aspiration of the PDP candidate has received further boost in Iyin, Emure, Ado-Ekiti, Ifaki, Ilawe and some other local governments where the Labour Party has sizeable followership.
Analysts believe that this development is a game changer in the gubernatorial race in view of the fact that the PDP candidate had been in narrow lead over the incumbent governor Fayemi of the APC in opinion polls carried out by some agencies in the last few weeks.
Chuks Okocha and Toba Suleiman
The governorship election on the platform of the Labour Party (LP) in Ekiti State, Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele, has rounded off his campaign activities with a roadshow around the state capital, Ado Ekiti, with assurance to emerge as the winner.
Bamidele, who toured all major streets in the state capital in a long motorcade also used the opportunity to debunk rumour about his purported withdrawal from the race.
Yesterday’s roadshow marked the end of the 90-day campaign rallies which Bamidele kicked off on the 23rd of March, 2014 at Ido Ekiti, which had also taken him to virtually all the 132 towns and villages in Ekiti State.
Bamidele who first addressed his teeming supporters at his Iyin-Ekiti country home also reassured residents of Ado Ekiti that he was the best candidate in the race.
He also denied his rumoured withdrawal from the race calling it the handiwork of his political detractors.
Bamidele, who was accompanied in the roadshow by party leaders and supporters visited the Ado Ekiti township market among other places.
While appreciating them for their support since he started his rally, Bamidele told voters in Ekiti to troop out in large numbers and cast their votes for him in a collective effort towards the rebirth of the state.
He also used the opportunity to further sell his party programmes which he described as people-oriented.
Meanwhile, a major crack has occurred in Bamidele’s camp as his supporters broke into two camps with majority backing a deal to support the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, in line with an agreement allegedly reached with the presidency and top leaders of the PDP in Abuja.
Competent sources reveal that the the Labour Party (LP) candidate and a governor from the South-west geopolitical zone had held series of meetings in Abuja on Tuesday and Wednesday night where agreements were reached on the need for Bamidele to withdraw from the race and declare support for the PDP candidate in line with an unwritten alliance between the two parties.
The meeting, which was also attended by the National Chairman of the PDP and a few other key government official resolved that Fayose will reserve offices for the LP when he eventually wins the election while the LP candidate will also be supported for an elective office in next years general elections.
It was however gathered that Bamidele, upon return to Ado Ekiti developed cold feet and hesitated on announcing the deal to his supporters most of whom had seen the futility of pursuing the governorship ambition without an alliance with either of PDP or APC.
Our correspondent gathered that majority of LP members believed the PDP was a better ally going by the situation on ground in the state as well as the fact that many of them actually decamped from the PDP to join Bamidele in pursuit of his governorship aspiration.
As at yesterday afternoon, a good number of the LP leadership in Ekiti state have reportedly met with Mr Ayo Fayose and decided to work for him in tomorrow’s polls.
With this development, the aspiration of the PDP candidate has received further boost in Iyin, Emure, Ado-Ekiti, Ifaki, Ilawe and some other local governments where the Labour Party has sizeable followership.
Analysts believe that this development is a game changer in the gubernatorial race in view of the fact that the PDP candidate had been in narrow lead over the incumbent governor Fayemi of the APC in opinion polls carried out by some agencies in the last few weeks.
