Udom Emmanuel, Akwa Ibom state governor has urged contestants in the gubernatorial primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti state to bury the hatchet and work together for the victory of the party.
Emmanuel, who was leader of the 5-man PDP primary election committee in Ekiti, gave the admonition while fielding questions with Government House correspondents at the Victor Attah International Airport, Uyo, upon his return from the assignment.
He thanked the national chairman and the national working committee of the PDP for an opportunity to serve the party, describing it as a privilege he cannot take for granted.
He expressed satisfaction with the integrity and conduct of the primary election.
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The governor, who described the exercise as transparent, fair and credible, called on all participants in the contest to acknowledge the supremacy of the party and pull forces together to grab victory in the consequent general election as one party.
“I think personally I’m satisfied that the process was credible and I also believe almost 100% of the people that watched it will give us credit that it was a very credible, transparent, free and fair election,” he said.
“My advice is, let all of them go back and work together. We have only one seat and only one person can occupy that seat. If after all what the party did at the NWC to accommodate all aspirants, the people then spoke and said this is the person we want to bear the flag of the party, I think all others should just join hands and work together. Party is supreme, let the party win then they can all sit down and talk.”
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He described as false and speculative, insinuations of unfair treatment and disenfranchisement of some aspirants, maintaining that the process was void of malpractices and created no room for expression of ill behaviour that would have given grounds to discredit the exercise.
According to him, such insinuations were indications of pre-perceived defeat.
He maintained that the committee had an authentic list from the national working committee which it followed religiously, adding that no single person voted that was not accredited and that there was none accredited that was not allowed to vote.
The Ekiti PDP Guber primary, which was keenly contested by 12 aspirants, had Hon. Bisi Kolawale emerging as winner with 671, edging out his immediate runner up, Segun Oni, who scored 330.
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Bisi Kolawale was a member of the National Assembly 2007-2011.
He served as environment commissioner in Fayose’s administration among other political offices held.
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