Ekiti State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant Dr Kayode Fayemi, has faulted the reported removal of Ekiti State Chairman Chief Jide Awe, by some party members.
He urged them to rescind the decision for the sake of the party and democracy.
Fayemi, the minister for mines and steel development in a statenment by his Spokesman Yinka Oyebode, said he would not support any attempt to subvert the rule of law within the party.
He urged those desirous of a change in the leadership of the party in the state to wait till September when the party would hold its congresses for the election of new officers. “Anything short of this is not acceptable”, he said.
The statement reads: “The report of the alleged removal of Chief Jide Awe as the state chairman of our party is quite troubling, especially giving the method adopted by the aggrieved members.
“The aggrieved members had cited, among other reasons, Chief Awe’s perceived biased position in the current governorship primary exercise in the party, where he was accused of overtly supporting a particular aspirant as well as hobnobbing with the Governor Ayodele Fayose-led government.
“Regardless of the weighty nature of these allegations, removal of state executives in APC through a Gestapo style is not acceptable. In fact, it is condemnable.
“I, for one, cannot be part of this. Our party is built on democratic tenets and the rule of law. So, I urge all those who desire a change in the current leadership in the state to wait till September when the state congresses for the election of new set of officers would hold in Ekiti.
The Minister also urged well-meaning members of the party to work for the unity of the various tendencies within the party ahead of the governorship election in the state.
“Regardless of the differences we might have, especially in the on going process of choosing the flag bearer of our party for the July 14 governorship election, we must unite in our efforts to chase out the incompetent and insensitive PDP –led administration. That we cannot afford to compromise.” he added.
Yesterday, scores of party members stormed the secretariat and ‘dissolved’ the state exco led by Chief Olajide Awe.
The protesting party members “installed” a new caretaker exco led by Mr. Kayode Egunjobi. They hinged their action on Article 21(7) of the party constitution.
Other members of the caretaker committee are Michael Akinleye (Secretary), Bose Yakubu (Woman Leader), Abiodun Fawekun (Youth Leader) and Akinlabi Idowu (Publicity Secretary).
Egunjobi was supported by eleven out of sixteen chairmen of the party’s local government chapters in the takeover of the secretariat.
The placard-carrying APC faithful locked the state party secretariat and occupied it for about two hours before armed policemen stormed the scene in two Toyota Hilux vans to secure the place.
A fetish object was placed in front of the gate of the party secretariat.
Some their placards read: “We Have Lost Confidence in Jide Awe,” “Jide Awe in Shady Business With Fayose,” “No To Consensus Candidate,” “Jide Awe and His Gang Masterminded Primary Disruption,” “Treacherous Aspirants, Leave Our Party For Us,” Primary Must Be Decided, Allow Delegates to Decide,” among others.
The protesters accused Awe of bungling last Saturday’s primary and masterminding the invasion of the voting area by people led by a member of Awe’s exco, Demola Adeusi a.ka. Oosa.
The protesters under the aegis of Concerned Ekiti APC Members who were led by a youth leader, Adeoye Aribasoye, a lawyer, said the caretaker exco will be in place for three months to pave the way for an elected exco.
Aribasoye said: “The former Chairman of our party, Chief Jide Awe and his other members of the exco have mismanaged party administration and
money in a reckless manner that deserves prompt action to salvage our party.
“The lates misconduct and gangsterism spearheaded by Awe’s men as witnessed Last Saturday where two members of his exco were directly involved in shameful and unpatriotic disruption of the primary election has left us with no action than to ask Awe and his exco to step aside to enable us address issues adequately in the interest of our party.
“Consequently, Awe and his exco are hereby removed from office for the following reasons and in their place are members who are to act as a caretaker committee to direct the affairs of the party till another election is conducted to fill their positions.”
