The internal squabble in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State has taken a drastic turn with the setting of the state secretariat on fire by unknown men on Tuesday.
The fire incident affected a section of the first floor of the secretariat located in the Ajilosun area of Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, before it was quickly curtailed by men of the Ekiti State Fire Service.
It is believed to have been set on fire by some aggrieved members of the party over the emergence of former Governor of the state, Ayo Fayose as the gubernatorial candidate of the party in the election to be held on 21st June 2014.
Fayose had won the party’s primaries overseen by former Governor of Rivers State, Dr. Peter Odili, with 466 out of the total of 477 votes cast at the party primaries on Saturday.
Though nobody was caught, the party’s Director of Publicity in the state, Kola Kolawole, linked it with people whom he said have evil minds.
The state’s Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Victor Babayemi confirmed the development, and assured that it would be investigated.
Prior to the primaries that threw up Fayose, 13 aspirants on the platform of the party had accused the former governor of disobeying a presidential order that sought for a consensus candidate for the party.
They, represented by one of the aspirants, also went to court a day before the primaries, to seek for an injunction to compel the party, the Independent National Electoral Commission and others not to recognise Fayose if he eventually emerges the candidate.
There were protests a night before the election by some members of the party against Fayose’s involvement in the election, but the former governor, who still has a corruption case in court, had described the aggrieved members as empty boasters who were only angry because they had failed.
