Former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose has said he and others chose to overlook over-voting at the PDP Southwest zonal congress because of the interest of the party.
In the election held on Monday, Governor Seyi Makinde’s candidate, Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja narrowly defeated Fayose’s candidate, Dr. Eddy Olafeso to become the PDP Chairman, Southwest.
Arapaja polled 343 votes to defeat Olafeso, who got 330 votes.
But Fayose, in series of tweets late Monday night congratulated Arapaja on his emergence as the Southwest Zonal Chairman of the PDP.
“Like I said in my speech at the beginning of the congress that we should win together and we have indeed won together.
“Whatever may be our reservations on the issue of over-voting, we have chosen to look at the larger picture, which is the PDP.
“We must therefore use our energy and resources to rebuild the party,” he said.
Fayose added: “Arapaja’s 343 and Olafeso’s 330 votes, has simply shown strength on the two sides, this should be explored by the party, going forward.
“I thank the National Working Committee (NWC) for helping to bring this congress behind us.”
At the congress, Fayose and Makinde settled their rift and reconciled, with Fayose accepting Makinde as his Southwest leader.
In his remarks, Makinde described the congress as a family affair and also an attempt to reposition the PDP in the SouthWest.
“This election is a family affair and also an attempt to reposition the PDP in the South-West and the outcome will have implications for our party at the national level. We don’t want to defeat ourselves but rather we want to defeat the opposition.
“As the only PDP governor in the SouthWest, I will work with anyone who emerges as the chairman in the zone and I will work with the team to reposition our party,’’ Makinde said.
