PDP To Refund Unsuccessful Ekiti Guber Aspirants N11m Each As Goodluck Brokers Peace

President Goodluck Jonathan has intervened in the Peoples Democratic Party crisis in Ekiti State.

It was gathered in Abuja, on Thursday, that the President held a closed-door meeting with the feuding party stalwarts at the Aso Rock Villa, from Wednesday to the early hours of Thursday.

The President  intervened at the behest of the party’s national leadership following the dispute over the emergence of a former governor of the state, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, as the party’s governorship candidate for the forth coming election.

A source privy to the meeting confided  that Jonathan appealed to the aggrieved aspirants to support  Fayose in the interest of the party.

The party source said 12 aspirants who rejected the outcome of the party primaries which threw up Fayose attended the meeting.

He said, “The President expressed displeasure over the method adopted by the aggrieved aspirants to protest the conduct of the outcome of the primaries.

“At the meeting, the President gave everyone of us an opportunity to speak some of them complained that the conduct of the primaries was unacceptable because they wanted a consensus candidate.

“National Chairman of the party, Adamu Muazu, explained that the party decided against consensus to avoid litigation.

“The aspirants challenged that N11m they each paid for the forms. It was agreed in principle that they will get refunds in addition to whatever other ‘compensations’ as may be agreed by the party and the President.”

At one point one of the candidates,  allegedly expressed doubts about the peace moves.

This angered the President, who asked whoever was not convinced about the sincerity of his efforts to walk out.

However, reason prevailed when elders of the party apologised to the President on behalf the “rude” aspirant.

The aspirants, thereafter, jointly assured  the President of their willingness to support the party’s choice,  that they had taken it upon themselves to cooperate.

Reacting, to the development, Fayose was said to have welcomed the development and pleaded with all to assist him.