Former Ekiti House of Representatives member, Oyetunde Ojo has raised the alarm over alleged plans by Governor Kayode Fayemi to impose his lapdogs as officials of the All Progressive Congress(APC) ahead of its forthcoming congress.
Ojo, an in-law to former Lagos governor Bola Tinubu, alleged the Governor and his co-conspirators have begun the process of compiling names of preferred officials to hijack the structure and architectural soles of the Ekiti chapter ahead of the June 16, 2022 governorship poll in the state.
The APC chieftain, in a statement in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, said that Fayemi, as part of the moves to make his alleged game plan materialise, stopped all ward meetings purposely to block all dissents from raising objections.
He described the Governor’s actions as undemocratic, warning it could throw the party on a path of perdition.
He said: “Urgent attention should be paid by the party leadership to the journey to Sodom, going on in Ekiti, call on the leading Pharaoh of our state to redirect steps from the avoidable Red Sea ahead, so the party can sail with ease to victory.
“We are aware that the Governor Fayemi led administration has sent a directive to all wards to compile lists of party representatives from Wards to local government level and these have been forwarded to him for imposition in the coming congresses.
“This is an aberration to the norms of all democratic practices which we all fought at a time in our party, and which led to the dissolution of former party officials and the enthronement of the current caretaker committees which role is to correct the past anomalies and lend a potent tooth to the coming one through fair, equitable and participatory contests.
“The current development in Ekiti State where the Governor is compiling lists of only the people he is disposed to and muzzling opposition by stopping all ward meetings and other such gatherings is simply dictatorial and will not be tolerated.
“We are calling on the National Caretaker Committee of our party, the leaders of the APC, to be alive to this subterranean move and act accordingly as the people have resolved not to allow any such imposition in our party again.
“Never again shall we fold our arms and wash our rights being taken by fiat by a governor whose loyalty to the APC is in doubt. Never shall we allow a governor who once robbed us of our hard-earned victory in 2014, forces us into another political Siberia.
“This is why a quick step is required to arrest the ongoing attempt to sweep the rights of the majority of our party members in Ekiti State under carpet.
“We are sure the nocturnal action will eventually blow open and curtailed as the people will keep demanding for their rights to equity and fair play, until justice is entrenched through people’s-oriented leadership from our wards, up to the state level,” Ojo said.
However, APC Ekiti Caretaker Publicity Secretary, Ade Ajayi, denied the allegations, saying the party was committed to conducting free, fair, credible and most acceptable congresses in the state.
Ajayi added the ex-lawmaker lacks the locus standi to make such damaging allegations, having been suspended from the party for alleged anti-party activities.
“We are assuring our people that the congresses will be free and fair. That is the focus of the committee. Nobody will be marginalised. All the tendencies in the party will be accommodated.
“APC is a party that is governed by the constitution. We will follow the constitution of the party to conduct the congresses that will accommodate all members,” he assured.