Thugs torch Ekiti PDP secretariat

The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party in Ekiti State took a new dimension on Tuesday as some suspected thugs set the party secretariat ablaze.

Our corespondent gathered that some hoodlums were sighted around the party secretariat located along Ajilosun Street in the early hours of Tuesday.

The hoodlums were said to have climbed into the office of the party chairman and set it ablaze.

It was gathered that the alarm raised by the residents around the place forced the hoodlums to flee from the place.

The residents stormed the secretariat and put the fire out before it could cause any damage.

Although no official of the party agreed to speak on the incident, but one of the leaders of the party told our corespondent he suspected that the crisis rocking the party led to the attempt to burn down the secretariat.

He said, “ You know that last week one of the aspirants (name withheld) came and removed the list of the delegates from the secretariat. He took it to Abuja for a reason known to him and his collaborators.

“I believe there are some documents they knew could expose them and maybe they wanted to burn down the whole building as a cover up. But they should know that the building is not the property of the PDP.”

Meanwhile, a member of House of Representatives, Mr. Opeyemi  Bamidele, on Tuesday  emerged the governorship  candidate of the Ekiti State chapter of the Labour Party.

Bamidele emerged through affirmation  in the presence of  444 delegates  that attended the State LP Governorship Congress held in Ado Ekiti.

The Independent National Electoral Commission’s delegation led by

its Administrative Secretary, Mr. Emmanuel Agboola, were present  to oversee the congress  in line with the constitution.

The  party’s Chairman in the State, Mr. Akin Omole, recommended Bamidele to the delegation of the LP’s National  Working Committee led by its Deputy Chairman, Chief Joseph Akinlaja for ratification  in line with  Section 27 subsection 3 of the party’s constitution.

Citing the Section, the National Deputy Chairman, said “In case of the nomination of anybody for the position of  governorship  in any state,  the State Working Committee can recommend any credible  candidate for the NWC for approval.”

Thereafter, Akinlaja presented the party’s flag to Bamidele, saying as at March 19 when the procurement of form was closed that it was only Bamidele that obtained form at the party’s national headquarters in Ado Ekiti.

Bamidele, in his acceptance speech thanked the party’s leaders and members while promising that the LP would form a new government after the poll.

He said, “ I promise to lead the party to victory in Ekiti . I was a member of AC from the beginning to the end . I was an active player in ACN ,I was National Publicity of Alliance for Democracy for three years .I was there from the beginning to the end .What I am trying to say ,I know this political tendencies in and out.

“Beyond the hype, the political and media, I know what the APC is  capable of doing and it cannot do .I know that what they are afraid of is the language of the people ,the language of mass  mobilization. I know the political and administrative tendencies .By the grace of God, I will work with the leadership of our party  ,I will not govern from an Olympian height .”