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By Josiah Oluwole (Premium Times)
A former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has told the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Kayode Fayemi, to prepare for his defeat at the July 14 governorship election.
Mr Abubakar, who spoke in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, on Monday, said the APC should be ready to accept defeat in Ekiti if it loses just as former President Goodluck Jonathan did in 2015.
The PDP presidential aspirant was in Ekiti along with members of the PDP Governorship Campaign Council. He expressed satisfaction with the level of the preparedness of his party in the upcoming election.
Other PDP leaders on the campaign train include the Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu; former Senate President, David Mark; former Kano State governor, Ibrahim Shekarau; a serving senator, Eyinnaya Abaribe; former governor of Ogun State, Gbenga Daniel , among others.
“We are satisfied that the PDP is prepared for this election. We hope that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will accept the outcome of the election,” said Mr Abubakar
“They should be democratic for the first time. We have seen how democratic they are. But for the first time in 2015 we have opposition party taking over from the ruling party, we expect them to do the same.”
In his remarks, the state governor, Ayodele Fayose, said the PDP leaders were in Ekiti because they had the confidence that the PDP had already won the election.
“Everyone is on the same page with us. The only thing the APC is holding on to is to rig the
election. We have told INEC that this is a pointer to the 2019 election. They should save their image,” the governor said.
“The country is bigger than all of us. Let me tell them, if rigging has been tried elsewhere it won’t work here. The people will defend this election. We are aware of plans to bring thugs here to disrupt the election; the people will stand up to them.
“The PDP leadership are in the state today to strengthen our hands and assured us of their support. I want to say that this election is about the people for the people and it must be so. Ekiti election is not only about Nigeria, the whole world is watching.”
However, Mr Fayemi, while speaking in Ijero Local Government Area, where some PDP members renounced their membership, said the PDP had become a desolate party that could not win any election in the state.
He urged the voters to reject continuity agenda of Mr Fayose whose deputy, Kolapo Olusola, is the candidate of the PDP/
“PDP is now empty in Ekiti, virtually all its viable leaders are now in APC. PDP is gone and I know it can’t win elections here in Ekiti, because it has been abandoned,” Mr Fayemi said.
• Source: Premium Times