There is one certainty as far as Ekiti State politics is concerned. That certainty is that Ekiti people are fed up with the present Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) government of Dr Kayode Fayemi. Even members and supporters of the ACN are angling to have a change of baton at the Oke-Bareke Government House come 2014.
However, determined as Ekiti people are to send Fayemi out of the government house next year, the major puzzle still remains; “who will the next governor be?”
Two options before the people are; Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) picks a credible candidate and the party will be guaranteed a smooth and easy return to power, or; PDP fails to pick a credible candidate, a third force comprising of PDP members and aggrieved ACN members emerges, and presents a credible candidate to slug it out with Fayemi and whoever is picked as the PDP candidate. From the two options, PDP is at advantage if it fields a candidate that does not have any luggage of negativity to carry.
As lovers of the PDP and a group of concerned youths in Ekiti State, we felt we owe it a duty to let those whose duty it will be to elect or select the PDP flag-bearer know that there is a kind of governor Ekiti people do not want.
- Lest we forget that:
On March 15, 2004, students of the College of Education, Ikere-Ekiti staged a peaceful protest against the perceived imposition of a Provost on them. Government killer squad was let loose on the unarmed students, and at the end of this deadly attack, FIVE students were brutally murdered while several others were seriously wounded. Gbenga Jaiyeoba, one of those who survived had one of his legs amputated! - “Where is Bode Olowoporoku, I want to kill him, I have immunity for eight years as governor of Ekiti State. And this will be till year 2011.” Those who were at Ilawe-Ekiti on Saturday, April 3, 2004 will remember the event that led to this statement. Most importantly, Senator Bode Olowoporoku who escaped death narrowly, and the likes of Ben Ogunlana (Benjola), Aseweje, Dapo Osunniyi, Kamoru Folorunso, Ojo Sunday, Yinka Osunniyi and others that were injured by rampaging thugs can never forget the event and will never wish its return to Ekiti.
- On Wednesday, August 11, 2004, the then Attah of Aiyede-Ekiti, late Oba Joseph Adeleye Orishagbemi, was on the order of the State Governor whisked away from his palace by security men. The monarch was detained with criminals for three days.
- On the September 11, 2004, attempt was made to kill Mr. Taye Fasuba, who was the Chairman of Ado-Ekiti Local Government. Fasuba was not in good term with the governor then.
- In October 2004, one of the Ayo Fayose’s brothers, Emmanuel granted an interview castigating him. Emmanuel publicly chided Fayose, threatening to destroy him. Soon after the imbroglio between Ayo Fayose and Emmanuel died down, late Bimpe Shorinolu, Fayose’s younger sister went public, accusing his elder brother of pitching her husband against her.
- On Saturday, May 28, 2005, Tunde Omojola, a Holland based Ikogosi-Ekiti indigene was at Ifaki-Ekiti to personally witness a councillorship election involving one Labaika, who was his (Tunde) in-law. Tunde was bubbling with life until Mr Ayodele Fayose, the then governor of Ekiti State stormed Ifaki-Ekiti with security operatives and hoodlums. For daring to raise his voice against him (Fayose), he allegedly gave rapid directive and in no time, Tunde was beaten to the ground. Till today, those who saw the barbaric act can still testify as to the person who gave Tunde Omojola a vicious kick on his scrotum, leading to his death!
- On that same May 28, 2005, Alliance for Democracy (AD) was having a programme at Mugbagba Area of Ado-Ekiti, Fayose personally led thugs and security operatives to disrupt the programme, destroying several vehicles in the process. He (Fayose) allegedly grabbed a pistol from a police officer and shot into the air to disperse the people. In the ensuing violence, 20 vehicles were destroyed and 37 suspects detained by the police.
- A month after the Ifaki and Mugbagba mayhem, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), raised an alarm that Fayose was planning to assassinate him. The elder statesman alleged that he had four different text messages on his GLO Mobile line in the past two months. He explained in a letter he sent to former President, Olusegun Obasanjo that: “My first reaction was to ignore them. However, in view of the concealed sender number and subsequent events, I was no longer comfortable allowing the matter to lie low…” Chief Babalola explained further that his problem with Fayose started over his (Babalola’s) comments on the attempt on Fasuba’s life and alleged deduction of LG funds.
- On Monday, August 14, 2006, Dr. Ayodeji Daramola, a World Bank Consultant and PDP governorship aspirant was murdered at his Ijan-Ekiti country home. Two months before he was murdered, Dr Daramola had resigned from his job at the Ekiti Poverty Relief Agency, (EKPRA), a World Bank funded project following persistent harassment and intimidation by the Governor Ayo Fayose-led administration in the state. He (Daramola) had already printed his campaign posters after he was presented to the then President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo in Abuja as a replacement for Fayose in the 2007 election by top PDP chieftains in Ekiti.
NB:
Pressure is being mounted on the State Government to prosecute Fayose for his alleged involvement in the murder of Tunde Omojola and Dr. Ayo Daramola.
- Between 2004 and 2006, there was no love lost between the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adejugbe and Fayose. Ostensibly to spite the Ewi, Fayose turned late Prince Adegoke, a man with whom Oba Adejugbe contested the Ewi stool to his ally. Fayose bought a Brand New Mercedes Benz S-Class for Prince Adegoke and registered it; ADO-EKITI 1. On a certain afternoon, Fayose drove himself to the front of Ewi’s Palace and publicly called the monarch BABA JOHN BULL.
- Integrated Poultry Farm Fraud – On June 10, 2013, a Federal High Court, sitting in Ekiti State adjourned Fayose’s the N855 million fraud case till June 24, 2013. Fayose is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly withdrawing N855 million from the state government’s account on the pretext of establishing an integrated poultry farm in the state (which landed both Olatunji and James in a Federal High Court).
- EFCC alleged that between December 2003 and December 2005, Fayose, without due process, engaged Biological Concepts, managed by James, his personal friend, on the pretext of establishing an integrated poultry farm in the state. Through this project, it said, N855 million was withdrawn from the account of the state government. The trial is still on.
- During the 2009 rerun governorship election, Fayose openly worked for the ACN. “Even if I am killed or whatever happens to me, I am saying that every Ekiti man and woman should vote for Kayode Fayemi in the re-run election that is coming up on April 25. Let them (PDP) bring soldiers or whatever they like, my position is clear. I am for the people and I don’t see anything strange in that,” Fayose said on March 19, 2009.
- Fayose vowed not to return to the PDP: “I have told them in plain language that I will never return to their (PDP) fold, no matter what.Rather if they want us to work together again, they have two options, either to come enmass to my Labour Party or remain in PDP as my eyes and hears,” he said on April 30, 2009.
- After the PDP lost the State governorship to the ACN via the Appeal Court judgment, Fayose, who had declared his intention to contest the Ekiti Central Senatorial seat under the Labour Party (LP) declared: “I have done my very best for the ACN and Dr Fayemi in realising the stolen mandate which we all worked for during the 2007 polls and the re-run. “Now is the time for pay back. I trust them; they will not pick any candidate against me toward realising my mission of becoming a Senator in 2011, they will rather throw out party interest and support me.”
Above are 15 solid reasons why Ekiti people will reject PDP should the party pick Dr. Ayodele Fayose as its consensus governorship candidate. The earlier he is made to realise that he is a hard-sell for the PDP, the better.
For instance, all that Governor Kayode Fayemi, who has been endorsed as the ACN candidate, will need to do to campaign for votes is to place newspaper advertisement, produce billboards and print posters and handbills, using Fayose’s photograph displaying placard with inscription VOTE FAYEMI and write underneath: “EVEN THEIR CANDIDATE WANTS YOU TO VOTE FOR ME.”
Comrade Ebenezer Olaleye,
President, Ekiti Progressive Youths