The governorship ambition of one of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirants in Ekiti State, Chief Segun Oni, may be heading towards a major crisis over who will be his running mate should he eventually picked the party ticket.
Hon. Oyetunde Ojo, a former House of Representatives member and son-in-law to the National Leader of All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Tinubu, is said to be waiting for Oni to emerge as the PDP candidate before announcing his defection to the party, having been assured of the deputy governorship slot.
Ojo, who was the Chairman of Segun Oni’s Campaign Council while contesting for the APC ticket in 2018, was said to be one of his (Oni) major financiers then and also now that he is seeking the PDP ticket.
A source disclosed to our reporter that it was Hon. Oyetunde Ojo that got Senator Tinubu to support Oni’s governorship bid in 2018 with the aim of securing the deputy governorship slot.
The source said that if Oni had succeeded in picking the APC ticket in 2018, Tinubu’s son-in-law would have been his running mate.
Despite his defection to the PDP, Hon. Oyetunde Ojo, who has been suspended from the APC, was said to be sure of running the governorship race as Oni’s running mate, until two weeks ago when an ally of former Governor Ayo Fayose, Mr. Kayode Oso joined the Oni’s team.
It was rumoured that Oso, who was promised the deputy governorship ticket by Oni, assured that he will provide substantial fund for the campaign. Oso also promised to hand over his Kayode Oso Network (KON) campaign office in Ado Ekiti to Oni and this, he did two Sundays ago amidst fanfare.
However, this has not gone down well with Hon. Oyetunde Ojo as well as majority of those who left APC with Oni to join PDP.
Sources told our reporter that Oni already gave commitment to those in what can be regarded as the “APC wing” of his team that one of them will get the deputy governorship slot and Hon. Ojo was their choice.
Apart from the deputy governorship slot, which is said to have made Hon. Ojo to develop cold feet in providing funds, Oni’s camp is also said to be facing issues over the Ekiti Central and North Senatorial tickets.
A source confided in our reporter that a former member of the House of Representatives, Yemi Arokodare, who is the Director-General of Oni’s campaign team has already been tipped for the Ekiti Central Senatorial ticket while Hon Bunmi Ogunleye, from Ikole Ekiti has been handed that of the Ekiti North.
The source said the Senatorial ticket for Ekiti South was left open as a means of negotiating with the present occupied of the seat, Senator Biodun Olujimi.
