By; OLADELE ADEDAYO, Ado-Ekiti
As the Ekiti State Governorship election slated for July 14 this year approaches, the incumbent Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has told the some of the Gubernatorial aspirants on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state that they are free to join the All Progressives Party (APC) to realize their ambition in the forthcoming poll.
The Governorship hopefuls include the former Minister of Works,Prince Dayo Adeyeye,Senator Biodun Olujimi,Ambassador Dare Bejide,and Barr. Owoseni Ajayi saying they are all free to decamp to the All Progressives Congress (APC) if they were displeased with the adoption of his Deputy Governor Kolapo Olusola as his successor.
Fayose insisted that the APC –led government under President
Muhammadu Buhari is sick and failing the people, saying : “When a
government is sick, it is the leader that is sick and when a government is failing , it is the leader that has failed.
“When Boko Haram takes over the space , when herdsmen are killing the people and when economy is completely down, then the leaders have failed the people”, he said.
Adeyeye, who hails from Ise- Ekiti in Ekiti South senatorial district,
formally declared for the plum seat in Ado-Ekiti last week Wednesday.
The former Minister, as well as the Senator representing Ekiti South
in the Senate, Mrs Biodun Olujimi, former Nigeria’s envoy to Canada ,
Ambassador Dare Bejide and immediate past Commissioner for Justice and known Fayose’s protégé,Barr. Owoseeni Ajayi,had jointly condemned the adoption of Olusola as the PDP sole candidate.
They described the action taken by a section of the party as too pedestrian and antithetical to democratic norms.
Fayose, who spoke at the rally held at Okesa area of Ado-Ekiti, said
he was not in any way rattled by the negative utterances being hurled
against him by anti-Olusola aspirants.
He said: “The PDP has taken a position, I say we have taken a position and we have no apologies for that and the position was that Olusola should take over after me as the governor of Ekiti.
“It doesn’t matter to us how many people that are abusing us by our
action. They are even free to join our adversaries, but we will defeat them as the God liveth.
“This is just a baby declaration,the date of the declaration will be
announced later. By the grace of God, Olusola will be governor of
Ekiti.
“Olusola never said he wanted to be deputy governor, but God
instructed me to pick him. I said we will go together after our
tenure, but God said I should allow him to stay that what I said was
my own opinion.
“This is a show of strength to tell them, I mean the APC that we are
here. We have what it takes to win election .
“They said they want to rig election, that will not happen here in
Ekiti, they should look elsewhere. Thy must know that politics is not
played in the other room but in the living room.
“This government started with nothing, but we have achieced a lot. We have improved the infrastructural development. We built the flyover,the Oja Oba market, the new governor’s office.
“I came , I saw and we conquer. If you want to rig, not in Ekiti looks
elsewhere because I am a streetwise boy. We are good at the game. I am
not someone you can trick and score in my net.
“They want to cause disaffection in PDP. You will wait in vain.
Whether you like it or not, Olusola will become the governor. This
struggle is to prevent Ekiti from going into slavery”.
Fayose said contrary to the position fondly canvassed by ex-governor
Kayode Fayemi that his government has borrowed a staggering sum of
N56 billion to , Fayose averred that he has not borrowed a dime since
he ascended the seat .
“Let them know that election is no won by propaganda. If they are
sure of what they were saying, let them tell us the bank that gave
the loan, the papers leading to the transactions.
“They were given the opportunity by the good people of this state ,
but they failed the people . Whether they like it or not, come July
14, Olusola will be governor”, he said..
