An elder statesman and member of the Board of Trustees of the People’s Democratic Party ( PDP), Senator Olu Alabi, has declared that Dr. Eddy Olafeso, has already informed the leadership of the PDP that he is no longer interested to contest for the party’s primary ahead of the October governorship election in Ondo state.
Alabi who gave this revelation in an interview with the Nigerian Tribune on Monday, May 4, 2020, noted that Olafeso had pleaded with the leadership of the party to retain his position as the southwest Chairman of the Party – a position which has already been conceded to Ondo State by the Southwest leaders of the PDP according to Alabi.
The BOT member added that the tenure of Olafeso -led committee in the zone had since expired and that during a recent meeting with the Oyo state governor, Mr. Seyi Makinde, the “Okitipupa born politician, Olafeso, has chosen to remain the chairman of the party in the Southwest instead of contesting to pick the governorship ticket of the party in Ondo State.
According to Alabi, ” The members of the PDP South-West Committee, headed by Chief Eddy Olafeso, have completed their term in office. So, we rezoned the posts among the six states in the South-West. The current members want a second term.
” At the South-West meeting held at the residence of the governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, in Ibadan, Olafeso pleaded that he should be allowed to return for a second term since he is no longer interested in the governorship race in Ondo State.”
Speaking further, Alabi revealed, ” They have even been in office for more than four years and so, their legitimacy has expired. They are due for replacement. That is why they are making a desperate bid to renew their tenure and we have not re-elected them. We have re-zoned all the positions as usual.
Chief Olafeso did not pick his phone call on Monday when our correspondent called to seek his reaction on the claim by the PDP BOT member from Osun State.