Few hours to the Ekiti State governorship election, indication has emerged that the Deputy Governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Otunba Ladi Owolabi, may have resigned his candidature to pick the All Progressives Congress (APC), House of Representatives ticket for Ekiti Central Federal Constituency one.
Owolabi, who was a staunch member of APC before emerging as Engr. Segun Oni’s running mate in the SDP, is a loyalist of Sen. Dayo Adeyeye, who leads the South West Agenda for Asiwaju (SWAGA).
He was said to have been prevailed upon by the APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to return to the party.
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However, the incumbent member representing the Ekiti Central Federal Constituency two in the House of Representatives, who is also the APC candidate, Hon. Sola Fatoba, is reportedly yet to be informed about the development.
A close political associate of Owolabi, who preferred anonymity because he was not permitted to speak, disclosed that the deal that got him (Owolabi) the House of Representatives ticket was brokered at the meeting Oni had with Tinubu in Akure on Wednesday.
Our reporter was told that Tinubu did not mince word in telling Oni that he should rather return to the APC and join hands with him.
Oni was said to have promised to get back to Tinubu latest today, Friday.
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However, while Oni’s decision on his stepping down from the governorship race was being awaited, his running mate was reached out to and he willingly accepted to withdraw as SDP deputy governorship candidate.
Apart from being Tinubu’s loyalist who only went to the SDP with others because of what they termed injustice by the State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, the uncertainty surrounding the Governorship ticket of the SDP in Ekiti State owing to a court case challenging Oni’s emergence as the party’s candidate for the election was said to have informed Otunba Owolabi’s decision to accept the APC House of Representatives ticket.