Ondo 2020: Why Jegede was Defeated – Tofowomo
Senator Nicholas Tofowomo, the Senator representing Ondo South Senatorial District at the National Assembly has said the People’s Democratic Party’s Candidate in the October 10, 2020 Governorship election, Eyitayo Jegede lost out because he refused to carry the Party southern leaders along and give respect to whom it’s due.
Tofowomo said Jegede choose his running mate from his own camp and failed to unite the Party members after he emerged as the candidate of the PDP.
He said:
“After the election, as a party person, Jegede won the election that same night, I called him and I congratulated him. I told him, you have won now forget the past, let us work together.
“You have two senators, embrace us and let us move round and meet all the 15 governors, so that we can raise money.
“He said he will get back to me. He did not get in touch with me until after a month. I called him and told him that he’s not working as if he wants to win the election.
“I told him that I’ll not bring leaders in Ondo South to his house in Akure for a meeting. I said, he’ll have to come to Ile-Oluji, assuring him that I’ll assemble all the leaders who will be waiting there for him.
“Then he came to Ile-Oluji. He met all the leaders and I advised him that Ondo South fought for the election but unfortunately Ondo South was not organized. We had about eight aspirants and you’re the only one from the central and you have won.
“You ought to have been with us for the past one month, I’ll will give you an advise so that you can move on.Prostrate for these elders and let’s work together, but he removed his cap and said he cannot prostrate for the elders. I told him that during my time, I prostrated across all the local governments and I won in all of the local governments.
“What he did infuriated the elders and I told him to his face that he will not win. They also told him that his arrogance will cost him the election.
“After that episode, I called him again about the issue of his running mate. He said I should not worry. I told him that I’m the political leader for Ondo South.
“If you are picking a candidate from Ondo South, I should be part of it. Then, he went to leaders that they should go and work together in order to appoint a deputy governor, but he deceived them.
“He has already made up his mind on who his running mate would be. In Ondo South, we are very formidable, strong and focused. Ondo South got angry that he chose the wrong candidate.
“How can you choose someone who is still in the House of Representatives who has not spend up to two years. That was a very wrong decision. That means he chose somebody from his team.
“He should have appealed to Ajayi who came second or Eddy Olafeso who came third. They should have come together and present a candidate. He said that’s the way he wants it. People later got angry and left the party. 80 percent of leaders moved to ZLP.
“That election sent a message to Jegede himself. His running mate lost in his local government, ward and the 66 wards in Ondo South”. He added.
THE DISTINGUISHED SENATOR has helped the PDP to clearly identify why , how and who betrayed the PDP at the OCTOBER 10 2020 GUBER ELECTION. He has further implicated the leadership of the SOUTHERN SENATORAL DISTRICT. Personally if i had had the ear of the SENATOR, i would have advised him not to tell this clear and devastating story, which at best, chronicles the THEATRE OF ANTI-PARTY ACTIVITIES during the 2020 election. Our SENATOR has confirmed all. A truly loyal party man would not have overtly or covertly encouraged some of his followers to cross over to ZLP just because they lost out in a clear , free and fair primary election. Chief Sola Ebiseeni, Chief GODDAY EREWA and some other leaders WORKED EVIDENTLY for the PDP even as they contested at the PRIMARY ELECTION. However, SENATOR TOFOWOMO has just confirmed that he deliberately encouraged his aides to ABANDON the PDP and to work for APC/ZLP. In fact , his point that the South was not ORGANISED to reach a consensus to field one out of the many aspirants indites his political LEADERSHIP of the South as claimed by our DISTINGUISHED SENATOR. Those who lost and stayed to work for the party have written good TESTIMONIALS for themselves. We have had Senators , Governors and Deputy Governors under the PDP umbrella. Some can raise their heads while some others cannot because of the discontentment which they had caused within the PDP.
INTEGRITY is not so cheap. It is deeply embedded in the souls of men. It was established that all ASPIRANTS AGREED TO SUPPORT WHOSOEVER would win based on the fact that only ONE amongst the aspirants would be victorious. The PDP elders and leaders worked it out.. A look back tells us those who actually respected the agreement even as leaders of the PDP worked out strategies to FINANCIALLY settle some whose languages tended in the direction of REFUND of part of their EXPENSES. Today, we have not heard a rebuttal from some who were clearly mentioned to have received millions after they failed to secure the ticket
The South, cannot stand ALONE (apart) from the STATE BODY of the PDP. State elders and leaders did all they could to pacify those who scored even less than the number of delegate votes from their immediate wards talk less of those who scored something quite noticeable. The state body of elders did well to unite the PDP but for some south senatorial district big men who never thought of the future implications of bringing dowm the PDP because the aspirant of their choice did not make the mark. It is obvious that the SOUTH needs to recognise the need to jettison the ANTAGONISM being extended to and perceived so by the other districts now. I wish to state that no matter the profoundity of the internal and external plans to sabotage the PDP, the party will SURVIVE. Obviously the deep-rooted regenerative power in the PDP will always cause it to OUTLIVE all those who cannot discern the force of futuristic historical verdict in politics.
Even as the PDP & its candidate are battling the FLAWED EMERGENCE of APC’S AKETI, some who are not wishing the PARTY’s effort SUCCESS cannot pretend anymore as they would rather cause a distraction. For those who are still very committed in body, soul and spirit to the emergence of favourable verdict at every level in the ongoing litigation, they shall shout and sing praises to God. Our sensual wisdom is too inferior to the ALMIGHTINESS of the GOD of ISRAEL, who is the present HELP of our PDP. I AM FOR PDP, as perhaps you are, in this particular season and at all TIMES. I command the gathering storm of rebellion to die by fire in Jesus name