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Tag: Adeyeye

  • Ex-PDP spokesman Adeyeye joins APC

    •’Fayose is a predator feeding on Ekiti wealth’

    Former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant Prince Dayo Adeyeye has defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    He explained that he defected to the APC with his political structure, the Prince Adedayo Adeyeye Movement (PAAM), in the 16 local government areas.

    Adeyeye said he decided to join forces with other eminent Ekiti sons and daughters to free the state from the vulture and predator feeding fat on the state’s commonwealth.

    The former Minister of State for Works promised to work for the victory of the APC flag bearer, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.

    He urged the people to repose confidence and trust in Fayemi and ignore the allegation by the PDP that the APC flag bearer was coming back to power on a revenge mission.

    He said he was not joining the APC to grab the deputy governorship ticket, adding that Fayemi would soon unveil the identity of his running mate.

    He pointed out that, by his decision to move to the APC along with his supporters, he was saying no to Fayose’s “continuity of impunity, imposition, poverty and unprecedented looting of the people’s common patrimony.”

    Adeyeye, who addressed reporters at his Ado-Ekiti residence, was accompanied by his wife, Princess Adetomilola, and two former aides of Governor Ayo Fayose, Alhaji Ademola Bello and Mr. Deji Adesua.

    Bello, who resigned two weeks ago from Fayose’s cabinet, served as Special Adviser on Cultural Matters while Adesua was Commissioner for Public Utilities.

    Adeyeye, who also served as PDP National Caretaker Committee Publicity Secretary, lost the governorship primary to Fayose’s preferred successor, Deputy Governor Kolapo Olusola.

    Olusola won the primary with 1,191 votes while Adeyeye polled 771.

    Adeyeye alleged that Fayose’s order that delegates should wear “aso ebi” to the shadow poll and the governor’s personal monitoring of votes at the exercise swung the pendulum of victory in Olusola’s favour.

    The ex-minister, who hails from Ise-Ekiti in Ekiti South Senatorial District, served as the National Publicity Secretary of the pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Egbe Afenifere, and also served as the National Publicity Secretary of the Alliance for Democracy (AD).

    He left the progressive fold in December 2006 when he contested in the defunct Action Congress (AC) governorship primary won by Fayemi alleging the exercise was marred by irregularities.

    The politician, who was a journalist and lawyer, joined the PDP and was made State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) Chairman by former Governor Segun Oni before he was later appointed Minister of State for Works by former President Goodluck Jonathan.

    Shortly after the primary that produced Olusola as winner, Adeyeye vowed not to work for Fayose’s continuity agenda which he said was not in the interest of Ekiti people.

    Adeyeye said he would not allow party loyalty to becloud his patriotic zeal for collective interest and future of Ekiti people.

    He added: “I have said no to Fayose’s continuity of dictatorship, impunity, imposition, poverty, unprecedented looting of our common patrimony and deliberate debasement of the self esteem of our people.

    “For my friends, admirers, patrons and well wishers, I want to reiterate that Fayose is an impossible person to deal with.

    “A pompous martinet with a huge ego, he is deliberately divisive and deceitful. He does not believe in reconciliation and no effort at reconciliation will work with him.

    “Therefore after deep introspection and wide consultation with various stakeholders in this State, my supporters and I have decided to leave Egypt which the Fayose administration represents and join hands with patriotic Ekiti people to board the train of the APC for the onward journey to our promised land.

    “We are joining forces with eminent Ekiti sons and daughters to free our land from the vulture and predator feeding fat on our commonwealth.

    “We want to set our land free and never again shall we entrust our land unto the hands of unknown person with unverifiable pedigree to ride roughshod on our people.

    “We have assurances of Dr. Kayode Fayemi the APC candidate that he has come to right the wrong of the past and not on a vengeance mission as being touted by Fayose and his cohorts.

    “He is now better equipped, well focused and better prepared to move Ekiti forward. Let’s join hands with him in the collective mission to rescue our dear State from the greedy predator in this hour of our greatest need. This is a call to duty for all patriotic Ekiti sons and daughters.

    “My supporters, associates, PAAM and I have finally resolved to join APC with effect from today 29th May in the celebration of democracy day that some of us fought gallantly to achieve from the military.”

  • Ekiti 2018: I have not joined APC – Adeyeye

    Accuses Fayose’s aide of spreading falsehood

    Former People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant in Ekiti State, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, has denied news on the social media that he has  joined the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Adeyeye, former Minister of State for Works, quit the PDP two weeks ago on the heels of the governorship primary won by the Deputy Governor, Prof. Kolapo Olusola.

    The former PDP chieftain promised to reveal his next political dispensation within forty eight hours but he was said to be consulting with his associates and supporters.

    He accused Governor Ayo Fayose of intimidating delegates at the primary which he said swayed majority of the votes to his protégé.

    Adeyeye contended that Fayose’s order that the delegates wear same uniform compromised the integrity of the primary.

    Olusola scored 1, 191 votes at the PDP governorship primary while Adeyeye garnered 771 votes.

    The social media has been awash with reports suggesting that Adeyeye has moved to the APC with an alleged visit to Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun in Abeokuta.

    It was alleged on the social media posts that Amosun has promised to give Adeyeye N200 million if he joins the broom party, an allegation he has dismissed.

    Read Also: Rainstorm destroys Palace, properties in Ekiti

    Adeyeye who stressed that he enjoys freedom of association courtesy of the Constitution promised to reveal the party he would join without recourse to “yellow”.

    In a statement on Monday by Director of Media, Prince Adedayo Adeyeye Movement (PAAM), Niyi Ojo, Adeyeye described the claims that he has joined the APC as deliberate falsehood urging members of the public to disregard same.

    He said: “There is deliberate falsehood and blackmail trending on social media that Prince Adeyeye and his supporters have defected to APC with a promise of #200million to be sourced by Governor Amosun of Ogun State.

    “The rumours emanated from Prime Reporters, a blog owned and managed by Governor Fayose’s Media aide, Lere Olayinka, whose life achievement as a journalist is to libel, blackmail and malign the integrity of any person apart from who is presently feeding him.

    “We call on the general public to disregard the write up as the figment of the imagination of the author.

    “Prince Adeyeye has the right to any political association of his choice and he knows how to unveil his new platform without recourse to yellow journalism as evidenced from the publication of falsehood to the general public.

    “We assured all lovers and admirers of Prince Adeyeye that in a matter of days a broad based platform for the realization of him ambition shall be made known after extensive consultations and deliberations.”

  • Let’s join hands and chase out Fayose – Adeyeye

    Former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant in Ekiti State, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, has called on the people of the state to join hands together and chase Governor Ayo Fayose and his protégé, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, out of the state at the July 14 governorship election.

    The former Minister of State for Works said the latest information from the Debt Management Office (DMO) revealed that Fayose borrowed N57 billion since returning to office in October 2014.

    Adeyeye, who spoke Thursday evening while featuring on a programme on Voice 89.9 FM, disclosed that the PDP national leadership offered him the privilege of nominating the deputy governorship candidate and a senatorial ticket for himself to keep him in the party.

    The former minister quit the PDP earlier in the day and accused the governor of intimidating delegates that voted at Tuesday’s PDP governorship primary which he lost to Olusola.

    He vowed to contest the governorship election on the platform of another party to be unveiled before the May 15 close of candidates’ nomination as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

     

  • Olusola, Adeyeye, Olujimi: Who gets PDP ticket?

    The stage is set for the May 8 governorship primary of the Ekiti State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Three aspirants are expected to compete for the ticket. ODUNAYO OGUNMOLA examines the contenders and their chances at the shadow poll.

    The state is set for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary in Ekiti State. The exercisae will hold on May 8. The governorship poll will hold on July 14.

    The number of contenders has been narrowed down to three, following the defection of some aspirants from the party. They defected to protest t Governor Ayo Fayose’s adoption of his deputy, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, as his preferred candidate.

    Before the September 6, 2017 adoption of Olusola by Fayose and his caucus in the Ekiti PDP, the party had seven aspirants.

    They were three former deputy governors, Chief Adebisi Omoyeni, Chief Abiodun Aluko and Dr. Sikiru Lawal; former Minister of State for Works Prince Dayo Adeyeye; former High Commissioner to Canada Ambassador Dare Bejide; Senate Deputy Minority Whip Abiodun Olujimi and former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Owoseni Ajayi.

    The ‘adoption crisis’ forced Aluko, Omoyeni, Bejide and Lawal out of the party. Aluko defected to the Mega Party of Nigeria (MPN). Omoyeni and Bejide moved to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) while Lawal joined the Labour Party (LP).

    Adeyeye, Olujimi and Ajayi stayed in the party.  But, Ajayi did not obtain the Nomination and Expression of Interest Forms.

    The implication is that the battle for the PDP ticket is now a straight fight between Adeyeye, Olujimi and Olusola, who had been screened to contest in the primary.

    The three gladiators are people of impeccable pedigrees. But, as they have their strengths, they also have some weaknesses.

    Adeyeye:

    Prince Clement Adedayo Adeyeye, the scion of the late Arinjale of Ise-Ekiti, Oba Adeyeye Agunsoye, has a rich political background, which dated back to the era of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) in the Second Republic. He started politics as a student in the University of Ibadan where he acquired bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Political Science before going to the University of Lagos to study Law. He was later called to the Bar.

    After many years of practice as a journalist and lawyer, Adeyeye, a disciple of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, became National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba socio-political group. Adeyeye was a governorship aspirant in the Action Congress (AC) in  the 2007 governorship poll before he moved to the PDP, citing irregularities in the primary.

    He was appointed by former Governor Segun Oni as the Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) where he won the best SUBEB boss in the Southwest. Other  positions held by Adeyeye included Minister of State for Works under former President Goodluck Jonathan and PDP Caretaker Committee National Publicity Secretary.

    Adeyeye is a grassroots politician whose structure, the  Prince Adedayo Adeyeye Movement (PAAM), is formidable. He sought for the PDP governorship ticket in the 2014 election.  Adeyeye is popular among PDP members and the crowd that attended his declaration attested to his status.

    But, Adeyeye has a mountain to climb to clinch the PDP ticket because he does not enjoy the support of Fayose, which is key in the contest.

    Olujimi:

    Senator Christine Abiodun Olujimi has a media background. He was a broadcaster with the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) for many years before he entered politics.

    After leaving her media job, she has invested in some key sectors, including merchandise, property and hospitality.

    Olujimi’s political journey started with the defunct All Peoples Party (APP), where she served as the National Publicity Secretary between 2000 and 2003 before she defected to the PDP. She was elected into the House of Representatives in a by-election in 2003, following the assassination of his predecessor, Mr. Abiodun Talabi, along Abuja-Lokoja Road.

    Olujimi did not complete her tenure in the House of Representatives. She was appointed by Fayose as  deputy governor following  Omoyeni’s resignation. Omoyeni left the position  to resume as  Group Managing Director of Wema Bank Plc.

    Olujimi was impeached along Fayose by the House of Assembly on October 16, 2006 over alleged gross misconduct. She was locked in power struggle with the former Speaker, the late Chief Friday Aderemi, and Fayose, who was in hiding. Later, former President Olusegun Obasanjo declared a state of emergency and appointed Brig.-Gen. Adetunji Idowu Olurin (rtd) as Sole Administrator to end the confusion.

    Olujimi served as Commissioner for Works during the Segun Oni administration. She was appointed Member, Governing Council, University of Ilorin and Member of the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC). She was elected senator on March 28, 2015 during the National Assembly elections to represent Ekiti South District. Olujimi is the Senate Deputy Minority Whip.

    The senator has experience as a party officer, commissioner, deputy governor and federal legislator.  She has a deep pocket to prosecute her governorship campaign. She has executed many projects and empowered people in her constituency, which is a plus for her ambition.

    But, Olujimi is believed to have declared her ambition very late. Many party members had committed themselves to other aspirants. Fayose is  working against Olujimi’s ambition with money, men, resources and connection. The list of delegates to vote at the primary is believed to have been skewed in favour of Olusola.

    Olusola

    Prof. Kolapo Olubunmi Olusola got into politics by accident. His father, Pa Olusola Eleka, was penciled down as the running mate to Fayose in the run-up to the 2014 governorship poll. But, fate decided otherwise.

    Fayose was on a visit to Pa Eleka when the octogenarian’s phone rang and the old man said: “how are you doctor?” At the end of the conversation, Fayose asked: “Who is that doctor?” The man replied that he was discussing with his son, who is a lecturer at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife. He pleaded with Fayose to make him the deputy governorship candidate instead of him, a request that was graciously granted.

    Olusola was sworn in as deputy governor on October 16, 2014. The governor declared publicly that he (Olusola) should stay away from politics as the two of them would leave the Government House together at the end of their tenure on October 15, 2014.

    The order of his principal made Olusola to stay away from politicking as he faced governance, policy formulation and execution. Olusola worked tirelessly in the education sector and he was credited with the success recorded in the National Examinations Council (NECO) School Certificate examination. In the examinations, Ekiti State came top in 2016 and 2017. Fayose who had been looking for a successor for about two years stunned the people of the state when he anointed Olusola as the man to take over from him in September 2017, barely a month after he became a Professor of Building Technology. Following his adoption, Olusola is in a vantage position to succed his boss. Fayose is ready to deploy his financial, material and political powers to his advantage. Except an upset happens, majority of the delegates are expected to vote for him at the primary because they are nominees of Fayose. The majority delegates are local government councilors, chairmen, House of Assembly members, commissioners, special advisers, National Assembly members, and party executives at ward, local government and state levels.

    But, Olusola is still regarded as a neophyte in politics, who is yet to learn the ropes. His cause is not also helped by many aggrieved party men who did not defect, but are are ready to subvert him during the poll. Even, if he wins, the prospect of managing a divided house looks daunting for him.

  • Adeyeye alleges supporters attacked

    Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant in Ekiti State, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, has accused the loyalists of the Deputy Governor, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, of unleashing terror on his (Adeyeye’s) supporters in Ikere-Ekiti.

    Adeyeye, former Minister of State for Works, alleged that suspected thugs loyal to Olusola, led by a legislator, launched attacks on his supporters after last Saturday’s ward congress to elect delegates to vote at the primary.

    He also alleged that his supporters in the town are being coerced to swear to an oath to support Olusola, which he described as “a flagrant violation of their fundamental human rights of association”.

    Adeyeye identified his supporters who were allegedly attacked on Sunday to include the Ikere Local Government Deputy Chairman, Sunday Olorunfemi; and the Ikere PDP Treasurer, Tunde Ajewole.

    Former Ikere Local Government Chairman, Mr. Banji Aluko, and Gbenga Ayeni, were some of the loyalists of Adeyeye also allegedly attacked during the ward congress.

    In a statement by the Director of Media and Publicity, Prince Adedayo Adeyeye Movement (PAAM), Chief Niyi Ojo, called on the Police and Department of State Services (DSS) to investigate the alleged attacks and bring the perpetrators to book.

    Ojo said: “If truly Prof Olusola is popular at his hometown, why resorting to beating people and forcing them to swear to an oath to support his ambition in Ikere.

    “This is a manifest signs of rejection at home and flagrant violation of the fundamental rights of association of these people.”

    But the Director General of Kolapo Olusola Campaign Organisation (KOCO), Chief Bisi Kolawole, denied the allegation that Adeyeye’s supporters were compelled to swear to an oath to switch allegiance to the deputy governor.

    Rather, Kolawole alleged that people suspected to be Adeyeye’s supporters attacked the Commissioner for Local Government, Mr. Ayo Alabi, with masqueraders in Ise-Ekiti (Adeyeye’s hometown), during the congress.

    He said the attack by Adeyeye’s loyalists in his hometown disenfranchised many party members who wanted to vote.

    Kolawole said: “The issue of putting some people under oath to support the deputy governor is not true. Was the oath done with the Bible or traditional means? We challenge them to tell the world.

    “As politicians, we know those working for Adeyeye in Ikere and I want to say that those suffering such fate are double dealers who collect money from Olusola, Adeyeye and Olujimi.

    “Adeyeye should not have taken those raising the allegations serious, if you are for Adeyeye, why do you go to Olusola’s meeting? You came as a spy, why do you double deal?”

  • PDP Ward Congress: Adeyeye demands cancellation of results in three LGs

    •David Mark: Election ‘peaceful and successful’

    A People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant in Ekiti State, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, has called for the cancellation of the delegates election results in three local governments.

    The three councils, according to him, are Ikere, Oye and Ikole which he alleged was marred by violence, intimi dation, hijack of electoral materials and malpractices.

    Adeyeye, who spoke with reporters on Sunday at his Ado-Ekiti residence, denied calling for the cancellation of the exercise in all the 177 wards saying his camp only had problems with three council areas.

    He praised a special committee led by former Senate President, David Mark, for supervising the exercise with integrity and fairness to parties involved.

    The former Minister of State for Works hailed the Mark panel “for doing a good job,” expressing hope that the party’s primary, slated for May 8 would be free and fair.

    Adeyeye said he had forwarded a petition to the Appeal Panel in writing drawing attention to the alleged infractions in the delegates election.

    He said: “On the whole, we are happy about the three-man Delegates Election but in the case of Ikere, there was extreme violence and we want our security agencies to investigate it.

    “There should be no reason for the attack on former (Ikere) local government chairman, Hon. Banji Aluko, while Mr. Gbenga Ayeni was beaten with charms, many people were beaten up by thugs and a vehicle was damaged.

    “The problem in Oye is that some thugs went to Ayede, tore the nomination forms and the torn forms were brought to my house. Thugs were also used to disperse the people, people could not come out to vote because of fear.”

    “We are satisfied with (results of) five wards in Ikole but the remaining seven wards, we don’t know where they did it.”

    Speaking with reporters at the Government House, Ado-Ekiti, Mark described the conduct of the exercise as “a peaceful and successful exercise which showed that PDP is still strong.”

    Mark, who noted that post-election complaints are normal said the contending issues are being resolved to allow the party go into the election as a united house.

    The former Senate boss disclosed that all the aspirants have agreed to support whoever wins the primary to ensure victory for the party at the poll.

    He promised that his committee would treat every complaint on merit, boasted that the party would win the coming governorship election.

    Mark also promised that the party would try and talk to key party leaders and aspirants who had defected to other parties to return.

  • Adeyeye: Fayose is intimidating aspirants

    An aspirant in Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the Ekiti State governorship election, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, has accused Governor Ayo Fayose of intimidating and harassing other aspirants.

    Adeyeye, who was at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja to submit his nomination documents, said the governor was making the contest tough for aspirants other than his anointed candidate, Deputy Governor Olusola Eleka.

    “Fayose said last September that he had already chosen a governorship candidate for the party. Even the so- called candidate said everything was over. We laughed and said that’s not possible.

    “This party has a constitution and we believe that we should follow the constitution. There are processes through which candidates are chosen,” he said.

    Admitting that the governor had a right to support any aspirant, Adeyeye said Fayose’s insistence on foisting his anointed candidate on the party had created an atmosphere of fear in the state.

    “Many party members are so afraid to associate themselves with other aspirants, besides the one anointed by the governor. But we are not bothered about this. We are still confident that we will win.

    “This is not the right time to contest for governorship in any state, where the entire body of the party has been deployed against you. You are being intimidated and harassed on a daily basis just for no other reason than they are supporting you. All we ask for is a free and fair election and security for everybody participating in the election,” he said.

    The aspirant expressed satisfaction about the processes that would lead to the emergence of the PDP candidate, saying the national leadership had done its home-work.

    He said: “The modalities put in place by the party leadership will enhance transparency in the governorship primaries and discourage rigging.”

    Adeyeye described his chances in the race as very bright, saying with the leadership of the party in charge of the process, he was sure the party would be just and fair to all aspirants.

    The former minister of State for Works and ex-spokesman for PDP said a free and fair primary election would brighten the party’s chances at the poll.

    He vowed never to leave PDP, no matter the outcome of the primaries.

    The National Organising Secretary of PDP, Col. Austin Akobundu (retd), who was on hand to receive Adeyeye’s nomination documents, urged the aspirant and his supporters to adhere to the party’s guidelines and play by the rules.

  • Ekiti poll: Can Adeyeye get PDP’s ticket?

    Ekiti poll: Can Adeyeye get PDP’s ticket?

    Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose has anointed his deputy, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, as his successor. But, some chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have objected to it. They believe that former Minister of State for Works Prince Dayo Adeyeye will be a more better candidate. Assistant Editor GBADE OGUNWALE examines the struggle for succession in the opposition party.

    It was Wednesday, January 24. A mammoth crowd roared in ecstatic frenzy, defying the sting of the scorching afternoon sun. Men, women, old and young had trooped to the streets in their numbers. The motorcade moved slowly through the main Ado-Ekiti-Ikere Road, setting the ancient town agog. Chants of “Adeyeye la fe” (We want Adeyeye) echoed. Decked in a white kaftan and an Awo cap to match, Prince Dayo Adeyeye popped out of the open roof of a black SUV, waving in all directions as he acknowledged cheers from the crowd of residents. A sea of heads had taken over the entire road, forming some kilometres of slow-moving human traffic behind the motorcade. The journey to Adeyeye’s declaration ground, located directly opposite his campaign office on Ikere Road, took some hours to accomplish. When the motorcade eventually arrived at the venue, the team of security agents who accompanied the motorcade and the ones at the venue had a hectic job navigating the aspirant through the crowd. It was difficult to persuade the army of singing and dancing supporters to give their man time and space to address them. It was a momentous event as Adeyeye declared his intention to contest the governorship election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Adeyeye, accompanied by his wife, momentarily, remained glued to the podium, speechless. Finding his voice, the aspirant’s chant of Pee- Dee-Pee…was greeted with a thunderous feedback from the crowd who responded with chants of power, power, power! Carefully choosing his words and moderating his language, Adeyeye reeled off what has turned out to be the many regrets of Ekiti indigenes who voted for Ayo Fayose in 2014. According to the Ise-Ekiti born-politician, voters simply bought a pig in the poke. Allegations are rife of the governor having his ten fingers wrapped around every contract, big or small, with terms and conditions of the contracts known only to him. Members of the state executive council and their counterparts in the Assembly are said to have been reduced to mere spectators where the lord of the manor holds court. Many party stalwarts in the Adeyeye camp narrated how Fayose betrayed a gentleman’s agreement he reached with Adeyeye in the run- up to the 2014  election. They recalled how former President Goodluck Jonathan mediated between the two politicians at the time to enable the party present a common candidate for the election. Apparently seeing Adeyeye as the more sober of the two, Jonathan was said to have prevailed on him to allow Fayose to contest the election. More so, the former President had reasoned that since Fayose constitutionally had only one term of four years to be governor, Adeyeye should let go. He agreed and Fayose got the ticket through a garrison-like primary that left other aspirants in the race holding the short end of the stick. The rest is history.

    As compensation for his sacrifice, Jonathan rewarded Adeyeye with Minister of State (Works). Now that it is time for the governor to honour his gentleman’s agreement, the story has taken a twist. The governor has proclaimed his deputy, Prof Kolapo Olusola, as his would-be successor. Not even the intervention of Jonathan could sway the governor’s unilateral decision. Neither is he moved by the deluge of protests from other aspirants and stakeholders. Fayose has been erecting billboards in every available space in Ado-Ekiti and other towns. Some of the billboards have portraits of the governor, shaking hands with his deputy, with a bold inscription: “Ekiti people, meet your next governor”. Without mincing words, Fayose had, at a rally he organised for his deputy, said Adeyeye and other aspirants were free to leave the PDP, if they so wished.

    Adeyeye said if given the chance, he would enthrone a culture of probity, transparency and accountability in the management of the state’s resources, adding that Ekiti indigenes would be relieved of what he described as the heavy yoke of servitude placed on them by Fayose. But, the hurdles in the way of his aspiration are daunting  Fayose’s decision to field his deputy as candidate appears to be cast in granite. The governorship primary, will be a testy experience for Adeyeye. Judging by precedents, PDP governors may not be  able to prevail on their Ekiti counterpart to play by the rules. Also, the newly constituted national leadership of the party does not seem to have the capacity to tame the governor. In the entire history of the PDP, the governors are laws unto themselves, with cult-like solidarity with one another, regardless of whether the cause is right or wrong. This was demonstrated during the conduct of the party’s December 9, national convention in which the governors ensured the emergence of their preferred candidates as officials of the party.

    But, Adeyeye said he was not seeking any undue leverage from the governors or the party leadership. On what his next step would be in the event of the governor foisting his protege on the party, Adeyeye replied that every politician must have options when pushed to the wall. Vowing not to back down from the race, the aspirant said that it would serve the overall interest of the PDP, if governors and the party leadership tread the path of caution and restraint.

    Sources close to Adeyeye, however, said the aspirant was not putting all his eggs in one basket, even as they confirmed that his loyalty and commitment to the PDP remained intact. The difficult task before the governors and the leadership of the party is how to strike a fair balance with contestants in the race. Under consideration is Adeyeye’s service to the PDP during the 14-month excruciating struggle with the Ali Modu Sheriff-led leadership against the party. Adeyeye and other members of the Ahmed Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee, were on the firing line. As spokesman for the Caretaker Committee, it became Adeyeye’s burden to contend with smear campaign mounted by the Sheriff camp. It took the July 12, 2017 judgment by the Supreme Court to cut Sheriff to size. He also played a prominent role in the conduct of the December 9 national convention of the party, where the new national officers emerged. Now, not a few stakeholders in the party believe that it is the turn of the party leadership and the governors to ensure that Adeyeye gets the appropriate compensation commensurate to what they considered his selfless and unblemished service to the party.

    Fayose championed the choice of Sheriff as party chairman in the first place, despite stiff opposition from right thinking stakeholders and elders. What manner of reward does Adeyeye expect from the governors and the party leadership? Hear him: “I am not asking for favours. All I ask for is a free, fair and transparent primaries that can stand the integrity and credibility test. This can only happen by ensuring that the delegates list for the primaries is not in any way doctored or manipulated to serve the interest of any particular aspirant, including myself”. But will the party and its governors uphold the credibility of the selection process? Only time will tell.

  • Adeyeye: On credible primary I stand

    Adeyeye: On credible primary I stand

    Ekiti State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant Prince Dayo Adeyeye told Correspondent ODUNAYO OGUNMOLA in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, that only a free and fair primary can avert doom for the party during the poll.

    A faction has emerged in your party that calls itself “Fresh PDP.” What is your reaction?

    I am now home.I am no longer in the executive of the PDP. We have finished our tenure and you know that we have just handed over after serving the party. It will be a big disappointment if we start another factional crisis; as far as the National Caretaker Committee in which I served is concerned, we have handed over a very united PDP. We have conducted a credible convention, the first real elective convention in the history of the party and it was very successful. We had anticipated that there would be problems after this convention and that was why we set up a Reconciliation Committee headed by Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State. He has swung into action already. He is already working. I believe that, if we all give support to that committee, it will be able to solve these problems. I believe that within the next weeks, we will get over these problems. It is not unexpected, that was why we set up the National Reconciliation Committee, but I believe we will get over our problems.

    What gives you the confidence that you will be the candidate?

    Because I know I have majority of our party members exercising their freewill, they want me to be their flag bearer because they know I am the only one who can win for the party in this state. All these other jokers will fade away with time; if PDP genuinely wants to win this election, they know I have to be the flag bearer. Go to the streets and find out from the masses, who they really want, that is what gives me the confide nce. My confidence is reinforced by numerous telephone messages, numerous telephone calls from party members including those people thought are on the other side of the party.

    They are encouraging me saying ‘look, we know you are the only one who can do it, that if you had been picked as the candidate (in 2014), Ekiti would not have been in this condition.’ Ekiti people are freedom loving people, highly educated, highly exposed people so, that’s what gave me confidence and to do otherwise, is to give a death sentence to this party in the state.

    Will the endorsenent of the deputy governor by the governor not put you at a disadvantage?

    I am not bothered about that; if the governor is saying that he wants a preferred candidate, definitely he is looking for somebody he can continue to manipulate after his exit and he knows that it can’t be possible with me. I don’t see that putting me into any problem or disadvantage, what I worry about is impunity and imposition at the national level. If we allow free and fair primary in the state, I will win it by the grace of God, I will win it, I will win it. The party’s rank and file are with me, they want me to be their flag bearer. We knew what happened in 2014, I was coasting home and I could have won successfully with 75 per cent. You knew what the authorities at that level did then but this time around, we are not going to tolerate that. I cannot be appeased like that time, I know that this time around, I will emerge as the flag bearer of the party unfailingly by the grace of the Almighty God. I have the confidence and I am going to work very hard, people know that I work hard day and night and I am putting all my energy to it. Let the governor put all the state machinery, all the state money, all the state resources but if Ekiti people really want to be liberated, they would really want a paradigm shift in governance, I am available.

    Do you think the governor would allow a free, fair and transparent primary?

    The governor is not the party. He is a member of the party, even though a privileged and important member of the party. Should anybody try to hinder the process or affect this process negatively by way of imposition or any other negative attitude, trying to manipulate things, we are going to resist it.

    What are your prospects at the primary?

    If I am the candidate, our party will get many people to support us and vote for us but if I am not the candidate, I don’t know what will happen. I look at the APC, I have been in the politics of this state from day one. I am one of the most experienced politicians in this state today. I have paid my dues, I have suffered more disappointments more than any of them, I have seen the rough edges, suffered left, right and centre and I am much better as a human being. Now, all of them in the APC from the beginning to the end, I can stand against them. I think Ekiti people are looking for somebody they can trust, who have the greater understanding of what leadership entails, who they know is a selfless person, who is not a selfish person. I don’t have any blemish in my record anywhere, I served at the federal level, I served at the state level , I have served the party even when I was in the AD (Alliance for Democracy), when I was in Afenifere, when I was in NADECO (National Democratic Coalition), there was no blemish against me. I served selflessly in all of these positions and I did very well. People are praying for me, against all comers whether in the PDP or the APC, I am ready and by the grace of God, I am going to triumph.

     

  • Adeyeye: imposition should stop in PDP

    Adeyeye: imposition should stop in PDP

    The Prince Adedayo Adeyeye Movement (PAAM) has urged the new Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, to end impunity and foster internal democracy.

    The group, in a congratulatory message to Secondus, also urged him to end imposition of candidates and godfatherism in the party.

    PAAM is the campaign organisation of a PDP governorship aspirant in Ekiti State and the immediate past national spokesman of the party, Prince Dayo Adeyeye.

    In a statement by PAAM Director of Media, Chief Niyi Ojo, the group said next year’s PDP governorship primary in Ekiti State is a litmus test for Secondus’ leadership capacity.

    Ojo said: “We believe that his victory at the national convention was a sign of good things to manifest in PDP, such as total end to impunity and imposition of candidates.

    “The new era should witness the birth of internal democracy and an end to godfatherism in our party. Prince Secondus has a litmus test with the forthcoming governorship primary election in Ekiti State early next year.

    “A level laying field should be created for all aspirants without any undue advantage to any person no matter how highly placed. This is a task that must be accomplished for PDP to have formidable fronts to confront general elections.”