Ekiti 2022: Why PDP should zone its candidate to the south

Constitutional or not, if the People Democratic Party is interested in winning the 2022 governorship election in Ekiti, a definite position must be taken about zoning, especially as it affects the southern senatorial district.

Statistics show that Ekiti South Senatorial District has the second largest registered voters and vote cast in previous senatorial and governorship elections.

Indeed, the people of Ekiti South can be said to have had a fair share of access to the position of the State Deputy Governor, hence pacifying them with a deputy governorship position is no longer intriguing.

Ekiti south senatorial district is not in lack of sons and daughters capable of leading the PDP to victory at the 2022 governorship polls.

It is therefore politically smart that the Chairmanship of the PDP is retained in the Central while the south and north produce a Governorship and deputy Governorship candidate respectively.

It may not matter how many times we try correcting the political conspiracy against the district as a party, until the desire for the south to produce a governor is achieved, justice is not done.

If an acceptable candidate from the south emerged through a free and fair primary, the largest vote in the history of elections in Ekiti may be recorded from the Southern senatorial district.

Ironically, the Southern Senatorial District with the highest number of Local Government Areas has never produced an elected Governor of Ekiti State.

Senator Abiodun Olujimi, a two term Senator, former House of Representatives member and a former deputy governor from Omuo Ekiti in Ekiti East Local Government is believed to be interested in the governorship ticket of the PDP, especially if zoned to the south.

Before the Present democratic dispensation, Ekiti had 2 military administrators, Col (retired) Mohammed Bawa (7 October 1996 – August 1998) and Navy Captain (retired) Atanda Yusuf (September 1998 – May 1999) who administered the state until the military juntas handed power to a democratically elected governor on the 29 May, 1999.

While the Southern senatorial only had their son act as the governor for 3 months during the governorship rerun election ordered by the appeal court in 2009.

The Ekiti South agenda has gathered momentum, the people are resolved to support any political party with a candidate from the district.

Professor Kolapo Olusola Eleka, a former deputy governor and the PDP candidate in the 2018 governorship election is another prominent aspirant from Ikere local government.

If in addition to the power of incumbency and strong influence in the north and central the APC produces a candidate from the south against a PDP candidate from another district, the result will be devastating for the PDP.

Generally, and for partisan reasons, the importance of zoning the PDP governorship ticket to Ekiti south has being largely misunderstood or undermined by many opinion writers and political leaders.

The Central and North Senatorial districts of Ekiti have produced 2 elected governors and an acting governor each since the creation of the State..

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