Some leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) under the aegis of Patriots of the Ekiti Project on Sunday delivered a lacklustre verdict on the administration of Gov. Kayode Fayemi, saying the hope of the people has been dashed two years into the four-year tenure.
They also accused him of ruling the state from outside and marginalizing leaders at all levels who worked for the success of the party in the 2018 governorship poll.
“On June 21, 2018, Ekiti people pulled the state from the brink and stranglehold of the immediate past administration, we all heaved a sigh of relief, and looked forward to a time of healing and revival in our progressive tendencies, as defined by development and inclusiveness.
“Our victory was a much sought after, a battle well fought, and won, not solely through the Governor’s efforts rather by all party people who worked so hard to secure that much coveted victory,and with that came the expectation that attends a new day.
“But that hope has been dashed two years into the four year journey. If the present leadership in Ekiti state is guided by sense of history, it will be sensitive enough to realise that the present administration has taken our party back to that inglorious point that we got to in 2014, that was the prelude to our political travails,’’ the leaders said in a lenghty statement on Sunday, entitled “TIME TO TAKE A STAND’’ and emailed to Persecondnews.
The 15 party leaders who signed the statement are Senator Tony Adeniyi (Ekiti South Senatorial District), Senator Dayo Adeyeye (Ekiti South Senatorial District) and former Minister, Senator Babafemi Ojudu ( Ekiti Central Senatorial District and Special Adviser on Political Matters to President Muhammadu Buhari), Hon. Oyetunde Ojo (former member, House of Representatives, Ekiti Central II), Hon. Bimbo Daramola, (former member, House of Representatives, Ekiti North 1).
Others include Hon. Robinson Ajiboye (former member,House of Representatives Ekiti North II), Rt. Honourable Adewale Omirin (former Speaker, Ekiti State House of Assembly, Honourable Femi Adeleye (former member , Chief Whip ,Ekiti State House of Assembly, Dr. Oluwole Oluyede (Consultant Physician and former gubernatorial aspirant), Akogun Bunmi Ogunleye (Special Adviser to Governor and former Chairman House of Assembly Service Commission), Mr Shoga Owoeye (Businessman), and Omoba Bamgboye Adegoroye.
Other signitories are Mr. Ben. Oguntuase, Chief Akin Akomolafe, Engr. Ayo Ajibade, Mr. Dele Afolabi (former SSA to Governor Kayode Fayemi) and Barrister Tayo Oluwasola.
They also accused Fayemi of administering the state using a clannish group under the philosophically deficient identity named “JKF TOKAN TOKAN” to the exclusion of majority of party members.
The aggrieved leaders said: “Consequent upon the victory at the Gubernatorial elections of June 21, 2018, the Governor immediately jettisoned the collective efforts of the members of the party and initiated a clannish group under the philosophically deficient identity named “JKF TOKAN TOKAN” which led to the need by uninitiated party people to “politically isolate” and”social distance” to be safe from the released “political CORONA VIRUS” of disdain for time hallowed principles of political inclusiveness, and injustice from their laboratory.
“The ground for this was set earlier after the emergence of the Governor, and a stakeholders meeting was convened at Otunba Niyi Adebayo, the present Honourable Minister of Industry’s residence in Iyin Ekiti, where the list of names that had been clannishly compiled was ratified as the list of party executives for the Wards, Local Governments up to the State levels.
“It will be of interest to ask if the present executives of the party at any level can tell the world with proof the date the congresses from where they emerged as winners, either through elections or by consensus, where the elections were conducted, i.e the locations and the officers of INEC or indeed officials from the National Secretariat of the party who witnessed it.
“This travesty was committed deliberately to completely ostracise people out of the party activities and today that is what has become the rule and not the exemption.
“In almost two years, the party had not convened any political meeting of stakeholders, no new membership drive , no political activity whatsoever to rev up and consolidate the place and presence of the party in the state since inception of this administration till date., Instead of growth, the membership of the party is dwindling by the day.
“Today, any member who expresses a contrary view is seen as a dissident that must be harassed and intimidated, notwithstanding the status, stature, profile , reputation and above all contributions of such person.Indeed the more visible, the more the orchestrated efforts to hack the person down in a HARVEST OF SUSPENSION.’’
The group said as a result of the political intolerance and high-handedness exhibited by Fayemi, eight leaders including Senator Babafemi Ojudu have been suspended or in the process of suspension.
They are Senator Tony Adeniyi, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, Congressman Bimbo Daramola, Hon. Oyetunde Ojo, Hon. Akogun Bunmi Ogunleye, Chief Ben Oguntuase, Mr Dele Afolabi, and Mr Diran Fadipe.
The leaders said having given their best at different times to build the party through hard times would not want the party to suffer “reversal of fortunes’’.
The statement added: “Party faithfuls rejoice when we win elections, but above all, the greatest desire is to see the party endure and impact lives when those in government deploys the manifesto of the party to make tangible and lasting positive difference.
“The future of any party is dependent on the combined deft management of the party and government in such a way that all members have a sense of belonging rooted in fairness and justice, while government delivers on the promises of the party as encapsulated in her manifesto.
“It is in the recognition of this that we acknowledge the intervention of President Mohammadu Buhari GCFR, in the matters of the party leading to the dissolution of the National Working Committee and the inauguration of the Governor Mai Mala Buni ‘s committee to bring some calmness into the party.
“This gratifying development has informed the need to bring to the attention of the newly constituted committee our concerns about the unfortunate drift of our party in Ekiti State. Prior to now we we have communicated the situation effusively to the dissolved NWC.
“As this new body sets about resetting the future of our party, it has become imperative to acquaint the leadership with developments in Ekiti State.The time has come to bring to the fore the developments in the state and the political realities in our party.
“Just like five years ago, when deafness to reason contributed to our loss of the election to Former Governor Ayo Fayose who taunted all our party people to no end with his 16-0 jibes for 4 years, we lived with that humiliating taunts all through his administration at no fault of the people.
“The State, Local Government and Ward executives who see the Governor as their benefactors capitulate under such threats of removal and denial of patronage to carry out the marching orders to suspend party members without recourse, just to please their masters, except in Senator Babafemi Ojudu’s Ward where the chairman stood his ground not to oblige such a perfidious request. And for this, that Ward executive is being hounded, harassed and oppressed.
“Our concern also is stirred not only by the unnecessary and imaginary battles with party members but self inflicted hate with dire consequences of the yet unnecessary terror that Governor Fayemi has unleashed on 16 Ekiti first class and revered traditional rulers, directed that they be queried FORMALLY and threatened them with DETHRONEMENT contrary to our age long tradition.
“It took the intervention of foremost Yoruba rulers, the Alaafin of Oyo and Ooni of Ife to give them a temporary reprieve. He has not relented in this ignoble pursuit of them. Every thoroughbred Yoruba son or daughter knows the implications of this on our people and COLLATERAL damage on any political party in future.
“Opting to enforce, not earn respect and loyalty, the political appointments given to the members of the party are exclusively reserved for the Governor Kayode Fayemi’s JKF TOKAN TOKAN rapacious gang and dispensed with baits. This has been taken to such a ridiculous extent whereby all the thirty five appointments from the state were secured for his cronies when he was Honourable Minister of Solid Minerals, and are still being held by most of those appointees till today, some of whom now hold other positions in the state government at the expense of other party members. We challenge them to put out their letters of resignation.’’
In addition, the leaders accused Fayemi of appointing some federal government appointees as commissioners in the state, thereby drawing double remuneration and defrauding the government.
“It is a common feature today to find Honourable Commisioners in the State cabinet still holding Federal Political positions, and those in the National Assembly holding Federal board positions.
“Beyond politics, we challenge the Government of Kayode Fayemi to list with pictures tangible projects undertaken in two years and the amount of money collected over that period from the Federation Account.
“The State as well as the 16 local governments have collected billions of Naira (NBS records) in allocations this year’ between January to April alone, and no local government has witnessed ANY FORM of DEVELOPMENT whatsoever. Then citizens have asked for explanations none is forthcoming.
“In what will appear as a misplacement of priority, the government is committing huge amounts out of the lean resources to build a cargo airport without cargo, no farm is being developed to have the capacity to service any cargo airport, IN THE NEXT THREE YEARS!!! Indeed the major bridge on the way to the so called cargo airport has been washed away since last year!!!’’
On COVID-19 pandemic, the leaders said: “Doctors in the employment of the state government were about to down tools until well meaning people intervened from among us stakeholders because the health system in the state is non existent and was so unprepared, leading to the death of an innocent woman whose son’s gory account berated the government for the untimely death of his mother in an open letter.
“Our doctors had less than 50 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in the entire state.
“At the beginning of the administration, the state government announced a recruitment scheme for young unemployed Ekiti people the application for this jobs attracted the payment of N1500 per applicant.
“We challenge the state government today to make public how much was collected and how many people have been successfully employed from that scheme. It is an albatross on party members.
“Ekiti people are desirous of knowing how many hospitals and schools have been built or renovated in two years, rather the Government of Kayode Fayemi would prefer to commit 1billion Naira to the renovation or rebuilding of sale of Ekiti State Governor and Deputy Governor’s lodge located on T.Y Danjuma Street Asokoro in Abuja that nobody stays in! The opposition party has challenged the government to publish the facts against the documents in their possession. Till date no explanations.
“The pursuit of the touted aspiration of Governor Fayemi in 2023, even when the President Mohammadu Buhari administration is yet to turn 365 days, has clearly shifted the attention and commitment of the Governor to the extent that the Governor instead of focusing on the huge responsibilities that our parlous situation at the state deserves has shifted his gaze to what has no immediate benefit to the people of the state but desperately in furtherance of his personal ambition got steeply deep into the politics of the party at the National secretariat, funding and fueling the same at huge expense to the state.
“The recent crisis at the national party has indeed provided an escape for the Lord of Ekiti who claims to rule from Abuja as alternate President to be completely absent from work as he has been since his assumption of office.
“This public expression, the first in the series of our string of legitimate interventions, by the EKITI APC STAKEHOLDERS FORUM must therefore be seen for what it is as a patriotic duty to secure the value and worth of our party, our future as politicians of the progressive hue on the platform of the All Progressives Congress and more importantly as persons who are irredeemably committed to making our state a great one in the league of states.
“Our intentions are pure and noble and time will prove us right or wrong if we do not redress this drift now. We shall not fail, nor falter. This is a sacred duty.’’
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