Adeyeye, Ojudu, others seek Buni-Caretaker Committee’s help to end dictatorship in Ekiti APC

Former Minister of Works, Senator Adedayo Adeyeye, a presidential aide, Senator Babafemi Ojudu and some aggrieved  All Progressives Congress(APC) leaders in Ekiti State have accused Governor Kayode Fayemi of influencing party executives to alienate and  victimise  critics of his government.

The leaders called on the just inaugurated Governor Mai Mala Buni-led  Caretaker Committee of the party to quickly arrest the alleged use of party machineries to punish members via  illegal suspension and ostracising from party’s  activities.

The concerned leaders also expressed fears that the party might suffer defeat in the next governorship election in 2022 with the alleged  existing cleavages and underperformance of the Fayemi-led government .

But responding, the APC State Publicity Secretary, Hon. Ade Ajayi, urged the aggrieved members to reexamine themselves, saying Fayemi was not meddling in the party’s operations.

However, in a statement entitled: ‘Time to Take a Stand’ and signed by 15 APC leaders and made available to journalists in Ado Ekiti, on Sunday, the leaders applauded  President Muhammadu Buhari for spearheading  the dissolution of the National Working Committee and the inauguration of the Governor Buni ‘s Caretaker  committee to bring some calmness into the party.

Other prominent APC leaders who signed  the statement include, Senator Tony Adeniyi, former  House of Representatives members,  Hons Oyetunde Ojo,  Bimbo Daramola and Robinson Ajiboye, as well as former  Ekiti State Assembly Speaker, Hon. Adewale Omirin.

They listed Senators  Adeniyi and Ojudu, Bimbo Daramola, Oyetunde Ojo, Bunmi Ogunleye, Ben Oguntuase,  Dele Afolabi and Diran Fadipe as among those that  had either been “unjustly” suspended or at various stages of suspension in their respective wards.

Speaking on the dissolution of the National Working Committee and the inauguration of the Governor Buni ‘s Caretaker  committee, they said: “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 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.”

The leaders posited that the victory they recorded in the Ekiti 2018 governorship election was not solely through the Governor’s efforts, rather by all party people who worked so hard to secure the feat.

They advocated for  the dissolution of the APC state executives across all strata, saying their lists were allegedly compiled  through undemocratic means by the Minister of Trade, Industry and Investment, Otunba  Niyi Adebayo and Governor Fayemi.

“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 exception.

“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

“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 to constitution, 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,” they added.

Countering the position espoused by the aggrieved stakeholders, Ajayi said: “They were only engaging in blackmail, because they knew that those suspended took the party to court and it is expulsion if the  law is to be followed to the letter.

“We enjoy the freedom to run the party without Governor Fayemi’s interference. But it is sad that Senators Ojudu, Adeniyi, Adeyeye, Hons Ojo and Daramola who were abusing Fayemi all owed their victories to the National Assembly to the  governor’s support.

“They should reexamine themselves and see where they got it wrong. Let them tell us one ward where Governor Fayemi teleguided the executives to suspend anyone? These are mere blackmail,” he posited.

On the accusation of underperformance leveled against Fayemi, Ajayi retorted: “They are strangers in Ekiti, because they have not been coming home. If they come around, they will see what our government has done and Ekiti people are happy.”