Adeyeye:

Former works minister Dayo Adeyeye on Sunday commended the conduct of the PDP ward congresses in Ekiti, but called for a review of the exercise in three local governments.

Adeyeye, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN,  in Ado-Ekiti, described the exercise conducted on Saturday as “the best in the history of the party and the state”.

“I commend the Sen. David Mark-led 3-man committee that conducted the exercise; I don’t want any advantage, but I want an atmosphere that will be fair to me. That is all I am concerned with,” he said.

Adeyeye, a contender for the PDP ticket to contest the July 14 governorship election in Ekiti, alleged that suspected thugs tore nomination forms in some centres, while some officials were beaten in others.

While commending the committee for its neutrality, he called for the cancellation of the exercise in Ikere, Ikole and Oye local governments.

The former minister said that he was satisfied with results from five wards in Okole Local Government, but was not comfortable with results from the other seven wards.

Adeyeye, who reviewed the exercise in the 177 wards, however, declared that his rejection of the outcome in the three local governments “did not rubbish the fact that the committee did a good job and was not biased”.

He expressed the hope that the party’s primary election, slated for May 8, would be free and fair, adding that he had registered his observation in a petition to the committee.

Meanwhile, Sen Mark has declared that he was “very satisfied with the exercise”.

“We are satisfied with the conduct of the exercise; for now, we have not received a report to the contrary, so we can say that it was successful and peaceful,” he said.

Mark, who addressed newsmen at the Government House, Ado Ekiti, promised that the committee would treat every complaint on its merit, and expressed confidence that the party would retain the governorship seat.

On some aspirants that had defected from the party, Mark said that the PDP would invite them for fresh talks toward reviewing and addressing their grievances.