By; OLADELE ADEDAYO, Ado-Ekiti
As the race to the 2023 general elections gathers momentum, a political interest group in the South District of Ekiti State, the Ise/Orun Concerned Indigenes has urged the State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi and the ruling All Progressives Party (APC) in the state to reward its loyalty to the party by ceding the Senatorial seat in the zone to Ise/Orun Area.
The group which comprised politicians, representatives from various quarters and other stakeholders made the appeal while reviewing the political state of affairs of the local government area, at an enlarged meeting at the weekend, where they also decried alleged marginalisation of the area in terms of dividends of democracy.
The group made the plea in a statement signed by its Chairman, Olorunfemi kehinde and Secretary Afolabi Ilesanmi.
It alleged that the council has not enjoyed fair political representations in government since 2010.
The group urged the ruling APC to cede the Ekiti South Senatorial slot to the council as mark of appreciation, stressing that the area deserves it by merit, owing to its sustained loyalty to the party.
“The truth of the matter is that our local government has not been enjoying fair political representations under the APC administration since 2010.
“It is a fact that during the PDP era, our council enjoyed more patronage in terms of dividends of democracy, elective positions and political appointments. Ise/Orun indigenes had rare opportunities to be elected into House of Representative on two occasions even though then, our community voting strength was so low.
“Still, we were treated as a local government in the south then. Unlike now that nothing is coming from APC political party to Ise/Orun. “the statement reads in part.
The Ise/Orun indigenes also lamented that the only opportunity they had in the council in 2019 was truncated with the sack of Senator Dayo Adeyeye by the courts.
“Yes! Prince Dayo Adeyeye was elected through APC but was removed by the Court’s. Unfortunately, it was only him that loses his court case in an election that produces two House of Representatives members for the APC
“We Ise/Orun never see APC Political Party impact in his court case. We need to ask how first and second term of JKF is fair to us as a Local Government and also ask if APC really consider Ise/Orun as part of other Local Governments in the State?
“Ise/Orun had been fair to the government of Gov Kayode Fayemi and APC as a party but all our requests from this party/government have been denied. We appealed for APC to consider Ise/Orun for governor, we were later hoping for Deputy Governor, unfortunately both were denied “
“The Senatorial position was taken from us that we think it can still be our last hope to justify our commitment to the party APC and persuade our people .
“We the concerned indigenes of Ise/Orun won’t take that,Ise/Orun want SENATE not house of representative!!. We appeal to APC to give us our SENATE back. It doesn’t have to be Prince Dayo Adeyeye again but any other committed party member from our communities .”
