10th March, 2014
Nigeria ruling Peoples Democratic Party on Monday cleared 13 aspirants to contest the primary of Ekiti State gubernatorial election scheduled for June this year.
The PDP 2014 Ekiti State Gubernatorial Election Screening Committee led by Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba also disqualified three candidates in the screening exercise.
Those cleared were Ayo Fayose, a former governor of the state; Oluwadare Bajide; retired Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade, a former Minister of Police Affairs; and Prince Adedayo Adeyeye.
Others were Adeyanju Sunday, Erelu Ogundipe, Abiodun Aluko, Adewale Aribisala, Oladeji Omoyeni, Olubenga Aluko, Oluropo Ogunbolude, Dr Omolara Adubiaro and Ajayi Ayodeji.
The PDP Ekiti State primary is expected to hold on March 15.
Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba listed the disqualified aspirants as Senator Bode Olowoporoku, Peter Obafemi and Bosede Dada while presenting the result of the screening exercise in Abuja.
According to him, Olowoporoku was disqualified because he could not provide evidence of tax clearance certificate and a court judgment overturning his expulsion from the party.
On the other hand, he said Dada was disqualified because he had no evidence of payment of PDP membership dues and also failed to submit his tax clearance certificate and West African School Certificate, the minimum qualification for all aspirants.
He said that Obafemi was disqualified because he had no National Youth Service Corps discharge certificate.
He however said all the disqualified candidates can appeal the decision of the Committee.
“We have evidence before us that Olowoporoku had been expelled from the party, but he said here that he had gone to court and had set aside the expulsion.
“Unfortunately, the court judgment he sent to us came to us a few minutes before we presented our report”, said Ndoma Egba.
“Which means that his option now is to take it to the Appeal Panel and I am sure they will look very favourably at that,” he added.
The party also set up the Appeal Panel on Monday.