By Babalola Seyi
Five members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, competing for Senate and House of Representatives in Ekiti State in the next elections have protested their expulsion from the party.
According to report, the main opposition party’s National Working Committee, NWC, dismissed five National Assembly candidates in the state on Friday.
Candidates who had previously been suspended from the party were expelled for suspected anti-party conduct.
Reacting to the development, the candidates, Alhaji Lateef Ajijola (Ekiti Central Senatorial District), House of Representatives candidates, Otunba Yinka Akerele (Ekiti North 1), Joju Fayose (Ekiti Central 1), Lere Olayinka (Ekiti Central 2), and Mrs Emiola Adenike Jennifer (Ekiti South 2) said only death could stop them from running and winning the February poll.
In a statement issued on Friday, the candidates described the expulsion as”inconsequential”, saying it was a clear disrespect for the laws of the party and that of the country.
According to them, the “lawlessness of the party’s National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu and the National Working Committee, NWC, will ultimately fail.
“Section 33 of the Electoral Act, 2022, provides that ‘a political party shall not be allowed to change or substitute its candidates whose name has been submitted under Section 29 of this Act, except in the case of death or withdrawal of a candidate’.
“We are unperturbed. Rather, we are being propelled to work harder to ensure victory in the elections. Ultimately, it will be victory for us as candidates of the PDP.’’
