- Urges PDP to Apologise to Peretei
Senator Nicholas Tofowomo, who represented Ondo South in the 9th Assembly, has accused the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State of “betraying” the party’s Publicity Secretary, Kennedy Ikantu Peretei, leading to his resignation.
In a telephone chat with Starnews NG, an outspoken Tofowomo expressed his outrage, stating that the party leadership “owes Peretei an apology for playing games with him and for betraying him.” He asserted that the leadership had previously invited Peretei to express interest in the party chairmanship position. “Dr Eddy Olafeso, my respected leader, and Engr Clement Foboyede, a former chairman of the party, were living witnesses,” he said.
Tofowomo lamented that after Peretei had spent considerable time and resources travelling across the state to garner support, the party leadership ultimately betrayed him. “If the leadership were not the ones who invited him to show interest, I would not have been this angry. It would have been a different story,” he added.
He also pointed out the inequality within the party, highlighting that Ondo North and Central have held the chairmanship positions for 12 years, leaving Ondo South behind. “Moreover, Ondo North and Central have Board of Trustee members, while Ondo South has nothing to date,” he remarked.
Tofowomo voiced his disappointment over how the party leadership had treated Peretei, stating, “They resolved that Peretei was a round peg in a round hole, but alas, they played him out just as they sidelined me during the governorship campaign, even as a former senator.” He recalled his own experience during the last gubernatorial campaign, saying, “I congratulated Agboola Ajayi when he picked the party’s ticket as the governorship candidate, and I asked him to carry me along in the scheme of things. But what did he do? He sidelined me, and I was not carried along during the campaign.”
Tofowomo also reflected on the accusations made against him regarding alleged anti-party activities. He stated, “They later accused me of anti-party actions for supposedly working with Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who visited me during a family burial and jokingly asked for my support.” He expressed frustration, asserting, “Our party lost the election across the 18 local governments, and it was 18-0. Am I to blame for the PDP’s failure in other local governments, including Ajayi’s ward? Was it not on record that the party’s candidate did not even win his own ward?”
Emphasising his commitment to the party, Tofowomo stated, “I am a bona fide member of the PDP, and I have paid my dues. As a senator, I was among those paying the rent for the secretariats, and to date, I was the one who bought all the chairs in the hall of the secretariat. I am not saying this to seek glory, but to let the world know that our leaders are not fair. They are the ones killing the PDP.”
He concluded by stressing the need for the party leadership to learn from past experiences and to recognise the contributions of committed members like Peretei. “It is not too late to call Peretei back and apologise to him. Our leaders must understand that all this temporary earthly power will not last forever.”
Peretei’s resignation comes amid growing frustration over the PDP’s leadership and its failure to secure electoral success, further highlighting the turmoil within the party.
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