Former Ekiti State deputy governor pulls out of senate race accusing Fayose of deception

FORMER Ekiti State deputy governor Professor  Kolapo Olusola has withdrawn from the Peoples Democratic Party’s  (PDP) Ekiti South Senatorial primary elections saying that he was deceived into standing by his ex-principal Governor Ayo Fayose.

For four years, Professor Olusola served as Governor Fayose’s deputy and in 2018 failed in his bid to succeed him as the Ekiti State chief executive. With elections looming next year, Governor Fayose asked Professor Olusola to run for senate and he had been due to participate in the primaries next month.

However, in a dramatic development, Professor Olusola has pulled out of the race and in his withdrawal letter , he said he only entered the latter due to pressure from Governor Fayose. Addressed to Senator         Iyorchia Ayu, the PDP chairman, the letter  was titled Notification of Withdrawal from Senatorial Contest.

According to the former Professor Olusola, Governor Fayose had sent emissaries to him, asking him to run for the post and he had to yield to the pressure from concerned stakeholders. He added that he only decided to run due to this pressure but was surprised to find out that he was being misled all along.

Professor Olusola said: “To my great surprise, Mr Ayodele Fayose, who openly endorsed my candidacy for senate in my town, discretely aided another person from the same constituency to pick the same senatorial form. I’ve consulted widely and have decided not to dwell where there is no sincerity of purpose but an arrogant display of deception and hence, pulled out from the contest.”