The Social Democratic Party governorship candidate in Ekiti, Mr Segun Oni, has said he left the Peoples Democratic Party because of ‘cheating.’
The former governor said this on Sunday during a debate organised by Channels TV.
Responding to allegations of being a ‘notorious defector,’ Oni said his decision to decamp from the PDP was not borne out of desperation.
Recall that Oni, on January 26, lost the PDP governorship primary in Ekiti to Bisi Kolawole, the preferred candidate of ex-Governor Ayodele Fayose.
Kolawole was announced as the winner of the election after polling 671 votes to defeat Oni, his closest rival, who had 330 votes.
The Segun Oni campaign organisation rejected the result of the PDP primary, while alleging that members of the organisation were disenfranchised by the process.
Oni then resigned his membership of the PDP on February 5, days after after failing to secure the party’s ticket.
Speaking during the debate, he accused the party of dishonesty in its conduct of the Ekiti governorship primary.
He said, “I do not like cheating. I don’t cheat and don’t like people to cheat. If I see a party that has no respect for its own rules, I see it as not my type of party.
“I contested the PDP primary and it was supposed to be a secret ballot and the world saw how it became open to the extent that one man was being shown every ballot.
“I believe if the party meant business, it should have said no. If it aspires to rule Nigeria and put confidence in people, it would have said no.
“I detest cheating and don’t collaborate with cheats.”
Oni was the Ekiti State Governor on the platform of the PDP between May 29, 2007 and October 15, 2010.
He was removed by a court judgment that ruled in favour of the then-candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Kayode Fayemi.
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