Segun Oni dumps PDP — days after losing Ekiti governorship primary election

Segun Oni, a former governor of Ekiti state, has resigned his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

On January 26, Oni lost the PDP governorship primary election in Ekiti to Bisi Kolawole, the preferred candidate of Ayodele Fayose, a former governor of the state.

Kolawole was announced as the winner of the election after polling 671 votes to beat Oni, his closest rival, who had 330 votes.

The Segun Oni Campaign Organisation rejected the result of the PDP primary while alleging that members of the organisation were disenfranchised by the process.

Over the past few days, there have been speculations that the former governor may dump the PDP.

On Saturday, the speculations were put to rest when Oni addressed his supporters in his residence in Ifaki-Ekiti, where he announced his exit from the party.

He, however, did not announce his next political party but there are speculations that the former governor may be heading to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

Oni was the governor of Ekiti on the platform of the PDP between May 29, 2007 and October 15, 2010.

He was removed by a court judgement that ruled in favour of the then-candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Kayode Fayemi.

In 2014, he defected to the APC from PDP to support the second term bid of Fayemi, the incumbent governor of Ekiti. In 2020, he returned to the PDP.

On June 18, registered voters in Ekiti will head to the polls to elect the candidate who will lead the state for the next four years.