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Tag: Fayose

  • Crisis hits Ekiti PDP as Fayose ‘orders sack’ of councillor, excos

    The crisis rocking Ekiti State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over this year’s governorship race has deepened.

    Governor Ayodele Fayose has allegedly suspended some party chieftains believed to be loyal to former Minister of State for Works, Prince Dayo Adeyeye.

    An elected councillor for Ido-Osi Ward, Abiodun Daramola, and the PDP chairman in the ward, Sunday Ojo, as well as seven ward women leaders in Ado-Ekiti were allegedly suspended on the orders of the governor.

    The latest action is causing tension in the party and is believed to be against the spirit and letter of the David Mark Reconciliation Panel on Ekiti PDP Crisis.

    Daramola told our reporter on phone yesterday that some policemen from Ido Police Station stormed the council secretariat with handcuffs to arrest him.

    According to him, the policemen said they were following the instruction of the governor not to allow him (Daramola) to sit at plenary with his colleagues in the council legislature.

    The councillor said he was saved from arrest because of the personal relationship he has with the policemen.

    He added that his fellow councillors told him that he was punished for being an “Adeyeye boy”.

    But the Prince Adedayo Adeyeye Movement (PAAM) declared the suspension of the party chairftins as “illegal, unconstitutional, null and void”.

    In a statement yesterday in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, PAAM’s Director of Media and Publicity, Niyi Ojo, described the suspension as “a huge joke by a shameless jester”.

    The statement reads: “One is embarrassed that a governor did not know the rudimentary provisions of Nigerian Constitution and the PDP constitution in respect of elected officials.

    “He unilaterally selected the chairmanship of the councils and councillors through YES and NO balloting system and he has gone ahead to render them robots that should not have the minds of their own.

    “He believes in gangsterism, thuggery, intimidation and coercion as a tool in politics of Ekiti, as if he is the Emperor of a conquered territory. This is a governor who has rendered every party man poor by denying them adequate party patronage, and he is now forcing them to do his bidding.

    “We are members of the PDP and not Ayo Fayose’s Democratic Party. All other loyal party men and women should not bow to this act of cowardice from the governor.

    “We knew all along that a leopard cannot change its spot. We knew that the tyrant will never abide with the resolutions of Senator David Mark Reconciliation Panel and we shall not chicken out from the battle to save the soul of the PDP from Fayose.”

    The State PDP Chairman, Gboyega Oguntuase said: “Whatever decision taken has not been communicated officially to the party. But we reserve the right to look into it.

    “We don’t want our people to be reading meanings to it. But such matters will be looked into dispassionately and nobody will be punished for an offence not committed.

    “But in a political party, you are not expected to lead an unregulated life.”

  • Fayose suspends councilor, ward chairman over ‘loyalty’ to Adeyeye

    The crisis rocking Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State over the party’s governorship ticket has deepened with the suspension of some party chieftains believed to be loyal to former Minister of State for Works, Prince Dayo Adeyeye.

    An elected councillor for Ido/Osi Ward, Abiodun Daramola, the PDP chairman in the ward, Sunday Ojo and seven women leaders from Ado-Ekiti were suspended allegedly on the orders of Governor Ayo Fayose.

    The latest action is causing tension in the party and is believed to be against the spirit and letter of Senator David Mark’s panel set up to resolve the crisis.

    Daramola told our correspondent on Monday that some policemen from Ido police station stormed the council secretariat with handcuffs to effect his arrest.

    According to Daramola, the policemen said they were acting on the instruction from Fayose who asked the police not to allow him to sit in plenary with his colleagues.

    The councillor said he was saved from arrest because of the personal relationship he has with the policemen.

    He added that his colleagues told him that he was punished for being an “Adeyeye boy.”

    But the Prince Adedayo Adeyeye Movement (PAAM) has declared the suspension of the councillor and ward executives as “illegal, unconstitutional, null and void.”

    PAAM Director of Media and Publicity, Niyi Ojo, in a statement on Monday described the suspension as “a huge joke by a shameless jester,” noting that the processes for suspension are clearly spelt out in the PDP constitution.

    The statement reads: “One is embarrassed that a governor of a state did not know the rudimentary provisons of Nigerian Constitution and the PDP constitution in respect of elected officials.

    “He unilaterally selected chairmanship of the councils and councilors through YES and NO balloting system and he has gone ahead to render them a robot that should not have a mind of their own.

    “He believes in gangsterism, thuggery, intimidation and coercion as a tool in politics of Ekiti as if he is the Emperor of a conquered territory. This is a governor that has rendered every party man poor by denying them adequate party patronage and now forcing them to do his bidding.

    “We are members of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and not Ayo Fayose Democratic Party. All other loyal party men and women should not bow to this act of cowardice from the governor.

    “We knew all along that a leopard cannot change its spot. We knew that the tyrant will never abide with the resolutions of Senator David Mark Reconciliation Panel and we shall not chicken out from the battle to save the soul of PDP from Fayose.”

  • Ojudu vows to recover assets ‘illegally’ acquired by Fayose

    Ojudu vows to recover assets ‘illegally’ acquired by Fayose

    Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, was yesterday on a lockdown  as the Special Adviser to the President, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, formally declared interest to seek his party’s  governorship seat.

    Ojudu, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), vowed to defeat Governor Ayo Fayose and his preferred candidate, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, if he wins the ticket of the party.

    The journalist-turned politician declared that the governor should prepare for hard times outside power as he (Fayose) would be made to face justice for alleged constitutional breaches and corruption.

    Ojudu vowed that the APC administration would recover all assets, including choice houses, allegedly acquired by Fayose with Ekiti funds since his return to power in 2014.

    The presidential aide held a three-in-one event which started with the inauguration of his campaign office on Textile Road before holding a massive rally at Okeyinmi Roundabout.

    Popular Fuji musician, Saheed Osupa, was on the band stand.

    Ojudu later addressed the  massive crowd that had gathered to hear what he had for him.

    The governorship hopeful was accompanied by his wife, Tola, officials of his campaign organization, friends, associates and other admirers.

    They were received by the party executives led by the state Deputy Chairman, Mrs. Kemisola Olaleye.

    There was    traffic gridlock on Ado-Ikere Highway throughout the period of the ceremony.

    Mrs. Olaleye promised that the party would conduct a transparent, credible, free and fair primary election among all its aspirants. She said the party is poised to regain power at the July 14 poll to give Ekiti people good governance and a better standard of living.

    Speaking at the party secretariat, Ojudu urged APC leaders and members to unite and chase Fayose and his proxy out of power and save Ekiti State from total collapse.

  • Okei-Odumakin seeks support for Fayose

    Okei-Odumakin seeks support for Fayose

    A human rights and gender activist, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, has urged women to support Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose owing to his women-friendly programmes.

    She spoke at the celebration of this year’s International Women’s Day at Oluyemi Kayode Stadium, Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.

    Women from the state’s 16 local government areas, who were clad in Ankara fabric bearing the portraits of Fayose and his deputy, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, defied the sweltering heat to mark the day.

    ”I want to say Governor Fayose is women-friendly. He appointed a woman as Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Commissioner for Works and others. He has done well for women and he deserves applause.

    “From what I see in Ekiti, Governor Fayose has prepared a gender-friendly environment. He has ensured women take more positions in governance. I urge you women to utilise this enabling environment to raise your status, ensure you use the money for something meaningful.

    Don’t abuse the  privileges.

    “Women have been well represented in the government of Fayose. Men don’t beat your women again and women please press for progress. Encourage our wards to be educated.”

    The activist said the women have been so much sidelined at the federal level, revealing that only seven are in the Senate out of 109 members.

    But Fayose warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against being co-opted into a plot to rig the state’s July 14 governorship election.

    Fayose also warned the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government not to use the nation’s security forces to truncate the wishes of the Ekiti electorate at the poll.

  • NANS threatens Fayose over prolonged EKSU strike, others

    The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has issued a 72-hour ultimatum to Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose to resolve issues that led to the closure of the State University (EKSU) in the past three months.

    Lecturers at EKSU and the College of Education at Ikere-Ekiti are on strike in protesting their unpaid eight-month salary arrears.

    The college teachers are also aggrieved with the state government over what they called “outrageous taxes” it imposed on them.

    NANS also condemned exorbitant acceptance fees being charged at state-owned tertiary institutions.

    It described the development as “fraud”.

    The students’ body also said it would embark on a “mass action” to force the government to accede to their demands.

    In a statement yesterday by NANS Zone D President, Lukman Adekitan and Treasurer, Ayodeji Amoran, the body expressed fear that EKSU students may miss their National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) mobilisation.

    The students’ body also demanded a reduction in school fees in the state-owned tertiary institutions, namely: EKSU, the College of Education at Ikere Ekiti and the College of Health Technology at Ijero-Ekiti.

    It called for outright stoppage of “acceptance fees” in the institutions.

    NANS said: “Acceptance fee is a fraud. We are against N50,000 and N100,000 acceptance fees in EKSU; N50,000 in College of Health Technology at Ijero and N35,000 in College of Education at Ikere-Ekiti.

    Acceptance fee is against the masses. We also demand immediate resumption of academic activities in our striking institutions in Ekiti State.”

     

  • ‘We will liberate Ekiti from Fayose’

    ‘We will liberate Ekiti from Fayose’

    Dr. Bode Olowoporoku is a former Minister of Science and Technology. He represented Ekiti South District in the Senate between 2003 and 2007. The governorship aspirant on the platform of the Mega Party of Nigeria (MPN) in Ekiti State told ODUNAYO OGUNMOLA in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, that he is the best man for the job. 

    Why do you want to become the governor of Ekiti State?

    It is for the liberation of our people; those who have been there have been misruling. They have been failing our people and they don’t have the capacity to deliver. You know if you don’t have the reservoir of knowledge and the capacity, you cannot do well. All those factors are very important, but absent in them. They have no focus. They don’t know how to develop our people and they just want to become governor.

    When they are governor now, what do they do? They just spend the money and use the power. Fayose said he is the governor that he has the power to carry money to everywhere you like in the world.

    There is a lot to be done to develop the people and I want to set a model for the people of Nigeria and to liberate Ekiti from hunger. My specialisation is to develop the people because I did Development Economics. That is one of the programmes I want to execute; it doesn’t mean that I will be feeding them. That is just a minor, but I am desirous of reducing poverty and reducing hunger. That is why I will be giving our people 100 bags of rice per ward per months throughout my four-year tenure non-stop rather than two kilos, three kilos of rice once in two years. Then, I want to lead an agricultural revolution, which will be based on systemic model of farming. These are things I have in my head, which I hope to execute to develop Ekiti State and other states will be copying. Those in power are ruling without model and if you are ruling without model, you cannot achieve much and you will be in confusion.

    Do you believe your party is strong enough to defeat the two major parties-the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the governorship election?

    Yes. This is a special type of election, it is a solo election. The focus is not on the party, but on the gubernatorial candidate. At the last election, you will know that, even if the APC was strong, Fayemi was not likable and that was why he was defeated. The parameter people now consider is who is the person? Not just the masquerade. The people were voting for the masquerade before. But now, it is not a general election; it is a party election. It’s about the personality election.

    Who is going to be governor? It is the comparison between the three gubernatorial candidates; those of the Mega Party, the APC and the PDP. That is what we are canvassing. That is what people will look at and the people have made up their minds that they want a new character. They want a new person to govern them because they had suffered in the past and that is why I know that I will be the preferred candidate. Let our people be honest with themselves. What are the gains they had made in the last four years that Fayose had been there that they will vote him or his surrogate? No. What has he been using to win? Two or three cups of rice, but now, am saying I will be giving them 100 bags of rice, every ward, every month. Even if you are taking it from the central purse in seven years, it  is not up to what Fayose spent on his useless flyover to nowhere. And this is the money you can get from the security vote and you use the money to feed the people because the state belongs to them. The problem is this: you have a budget and that budget is for the people. The money that the governor goes to Abuja to carry is for the people and not for him.

     

  • ‘Fayose has misruled Ekiti’

    ‘Fayose has misruled Ekiti’

    Former Minister of Science and Technology Dr. Bode Olowoporoku has described the construction of N14.5 billion flyover by Governor Ayo Fayose as a “misplacement of priority.”

    Olowoporoku, who spoke in his Ilawe-Ekiti country home after hosting his supporters, said the multi billion naira flyover could not be justified, amidst “acute and unprecedented hunger in the state.”

    He said the money spent on the construction of the bridge should have been ploughed into agriculture, tourism and investment in human capital.

    The former senator, who represented Ekiti South District between 2003 and 2007, has signified intent to run for the governor on the platform of Mega Party of Nigeria (MPN).

    He expressed concern that many people in Ekiti go to bed hungry promising that an MPN government would make food available to them if voted into power.

    Olowoporoku explained that the fight against hunger, poverty and unemployment would be a cardinal policy of his administration if elected governor. The veteran politician explained that he would tackle the problems with huge investment in agriculture with a policy he described as the “Agric Revolution.”

     

  • ‘Fayose’s ten-year ban on Fayemi an effort in futility’

    ‘Fayose’s ten-year ban on Fayemi an effort in futility’

    AN interest group, the Just Keep Following Group (JKFG), has faulted the recent white paper released by Ekiti State government banning minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi, from holding public office for ten years. The group condemned Governor Ayo Fayose for allegedly instigating the indictment of his predecessor by a judicial commission of inquiry and releasing the document to block Fayemi’s possible entry into the 2018 Ekiti governorship race.

    In a statement yesterday signed by its state coordinator, Bisi Dada, and director of legal matters, Adeoye Aribasoye, JKFG described the release of the white paper as “an effort in futility and crass display of ignorance by the Fayose-led administration.” It said the outcome of the panel’s report confirmed the earlier concerns expressed in some quarters that “it was compromised from the beginning and targeted against Fayemi.

    “It is worthy of note that nobody or authority in Nigeria by the provisions of our Constitution can bar any Nigerian from holding public office other than a court of competent jurisdiction. A law pupil knows that the white paper is as useless as the paper it was written on because it has long been settled in plethora of cases that it is only a court of competent jurisdiction that can bar anyone either from contesting or holding a public office.

    “It has been settled in the case of ACN v INEC & Ors, Sokefun V Akinyemi (1981) 1 NCLR 135 and Garba v University of Maiduguri (1986) 1 NWLR  pt 18 at 550. The predetermined panel’s report has one motive, which is to stop Dr. John Kayode Fayemi at all cost from contesting the 2018 gubernatorial election in the state. We want to urge the general public not to be taken aback on the outcome of the political panel’s report as it cannot hold water.

    “The best it can be is to be thrown out of the judicial window into the lagoon of irrelevance where it rightly belongs. No court under the extant law will ever have a second look into the worthless paper before throwing it out,” the group argued.

  • ‘Fayose has misruled Ekiti’

    ‘Fayose has misruled Ekiti’

    Former Minister of Science and Technology Dr. Bode Olowoporoku has described the construction of N14.5 billion flyover by Governor Ayo Fayose as a “misplacement of priority.”

    Olowoporoku, who spoke in his Ilawe-Ekiti country home after hosting his supporters, said the multi billion naira flyover could not be justified, amidst “acute and unprecedented hunger in the state.”

    He said the money spent on the construction of the bridge should have been ploughed into agriculture, tourism and investment in human capital.

    The former senator, who represented Ekiti South District between 2003 and 2007, has signified intent to run for the governor on the platform of Mega Party of Nigeria (MPN).

    He expressed concern that many people in Ekiti go to bed hungry promising that an MPN government would make food available to them if voted into power.

    Olowoporoku explained that the fight against hunger, poverty and unemployment would be a cardinal policy of his administration if elected governor. The veteran politician explained that he would tackle the problems with huge investment in agriculture with a policy he described as the “Agric Revolution.”

  • Buhari, Fayose: A meeting of President and self-acclaimed opposition leader

    Buhari, Fayose: A meeting of President and self-acclaimed opposition leader

    What was going on in the minds of President Muhammadu Buhari and Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose, yesterday?

    Definitely, the two politicians are not the best of friends. Many have described them as perceived political foes. They belong to different political parties. But, occasional meetings may be inevitable while discharging their constitutional duties.

    Thus, both met at the Council of State meeting in Abuja, the seat of power. They exchanged pleasantries and shook hands. Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha, who was looking at the two leaders from a distance, could not confirm whether it was a warm handshake or not. May be, the president and the governor merely fulfilled protocols.

    The president and governor were seen in the picture, apparently beaming mechanical smiles. Fayose, who was decked in an Igbo attire, with a red cap to match, greeted the president with full respect. The president, in his blue babaringa and shagari cap, was the first to extend his hand to the governor before he replied the courtesy.

    Since 2015, the Ekiti governor has made himself the opposition leader. He is an ardent critic of the president. When President Buhari was on medical vacation abroad, Fayose raised the alarm, saying that his time was up. He said the Commander-In-Chief was on a life support machine. He threatened to release some pictures as proof. The pictures were never released to the media.

    Fayose has also criticised the president for not fulfilling his campaign promises. On the economy, security, job creation, and security, he said there is nothing to cheer. When Fayose was celebrating his birthday a few months ago, he also frowned at the president’s refusal to send a congratulatory letter to him as the leader of opposition. The kernel of Fayose’s criticisms is that President Buhari should not run in next year’s poll. If he runs, Fayose said he will be defeated by the PDP candidate.

    For a long time, the governor has shunned the Council of State meeting. Observers suggested that he was trying to avoid the president. May be. May be not.

    What was going on in Fayose’s mind? Was it an opportunity for him to closely examine the stamina of the President, who he thought will not survive his health challenge? How did the governor perceive the president, who presided over the long meeting? Has his impression about the president changed? Will he now sheathe his swords?

    What was also going on in the president’s mind? The ranting of an ant, to borrow Dr. Chuba Okadigbo’s words? Was the president thinking about the changing times? Or what he would have done to Fayose, were he a military Head of State?

    Conjectures. Nothing more.