Five governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, have reportedly supported the planned defection of the embattled deputy governor of Ondo State, Agboola Ajayi to the Zenith Labour Party, ZLP.
POLITICS NIGERIA understands that the decision of the governors is to whittle down the power of the party’s former presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, ahead of the 2023 general election.
The governors, it was gathered, were plotting to stop Atiku from producing a governor in the Southwest to use as leverage for his presidential race.
The planned defection of Ajayi follows the reluctance of the party’s governorship candidate in Ondo state, Eyitayo Jegede, who is a close ally of Atiku, to accept Ajayi as his running mate.
This development has now led to a major crisis in the party and the governors have reportedly thrown their weight behind Ajayi to run on the ZLP platform due to his failure in the primary election.
The five governors had suggested that the deputy governor’s slot should be given to Ajayi, which Jegede turned down.
Jegede’s camp was said to be wary of Ajayi, who controls nine members of the Ondo State House of Assembly. According to sources, Jegede’s strategists fear that Ajayi could become rebellious and impeach the governor, if the PDP wins in Ondo State.
