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Tag: Opeyemi Bamidele

  • Debate: Fayemi engaging in intellectual arrogance, says Bamidele

    Debate: Fayemi engaging in intellectual arrogance, says Bamidele

    The Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in the June 21 governorship election in Ekiti State, Opeyemi Bamidele, has said he was ready for a televised debate with Governor Kayode Fayemi on issues bordering on “governance and development of the state”.

    His media aide, Ahmed Salami, quoted Bamidele as describing impression by Fayemi that his opponents were timid to face him in a debate as “baseless and unfounded.”

    He added that he was “more politically exposed and experienced than could be threatened by anybody”.

    The lawmaker urged the governor against engaging in intellectual arrogance, saying: “I can’t be intimidated by Fayemi in any form. I think I am vast in terms of education, brilliance, eloquence and general knowledge of the economic situation of the state to confront Governor Fayemi in any debate”.

    In a reaction, the APC spokesperson, Mr. Segun Dipe, who repeated the readiness of Fayemi for a debate on issues regarding the party’s achievements in Ekiti in last three and a half years of the administration, said: “Such a debate will be interesting as it will surely expose the lying lips of our desperate opponents”.

    Urging the LP candidate to find out the meaning of “intellectual arrogance,” since “such does not apply to the APC candidate in the current instance, Dipe advised the opposition politicians to undergo tutorials on how to paint white black.

    Dipe said: “Such a skill will be needed to argue that Fayemi has not done anything in and for Ekiti for the entire period of his governance.

    “The Bamideles and Fayoses will have to tell Ekiti people that what their vehicles and motorcycles travel on everyday and everywhere in Ekiti are not roads constructed by Fayemi. They will have to prove that nearly 40,000 secondary school students have not been enjoying free laptops, alongside their teachers.

  • Bamidele: I’m still contesting

    Bamidele: I’m still contesting

    FOR those doubting his participation in the June 21 governorship election in Ekiti State, Labour Party flag bearer Opeyemi Bamidele as emphasised that he was still contesting.

    Bamidele told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ado-Ekiti that he was not considering stepping down for any other contender in the poll.

    He said no amount of intimidation and attack would make him succumb to the wishes of those who he claimed saw him as a threat.

    According to him, those spreading the information that he was no longer in the race were only jittery over his rising political profile.

    Bamidele, who also said he had no working arrangement with any candidate, added: “Contrary to insinuations in some quarters, I never held meetings with any individual or group where it was agreed that I would team up with a particular candidate.

    “I have never regretted my actions or inactions and this governorship race will not be an exception.

    “Before I venture into any project, I usually seek the face and direction of God and God has not told me to make a U-turn.”

    He called on his supporters across the state to disregard such speculations, saying they were false and diversionary.

    “What is paramount in my mind at the moment is to concentrate on my statewide campaign so as to sell the manifesto of our party to the electorate.

    “I have the conviction that the Ekiti people who know my antecedents, will make the right choice come June 21,” he said.

  • Bamidele to Adebayo: I’m not overambitious

    Bamidele to Adebayo: I’m not overambitious

    The Labour Party governorship candidate in Ekiti State, Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele, has described as retrogressive a statement credited to a former governor of the state, Otunba Niyi Adebayo that he is over- ambitious.

    On Adebayo assertion that it was not yet the turn of Iyin Ekiti, Bamidele’s hometown to produce a governor, Bamidele accused the ex-governor of being more interested in perpetuating his own political hegemony at the expense of the collective interest of the people of Iyin Ekiti.

    The LP candidate said this in a statement signed by his media aide, Ahmed Salami, and made available to newsmen in Ado Ekiti on Saturday.

    Adebayo had last Thursday during Governor Kayode Fayemi’s campaign in Irepodun/Ifelodun disclosed he had earlier warmed Bamidele to steer clear of the governorship race in order to allow indigenes of other towns to produce same.

    Bamidele maintained that he had never been desperate for anything in his life and had never been adjudged as overambitious by Adebayo except for this new love for Fayemi.

    The LP candidate, who said he does not need Adebayo’s support to win election in Ekiti, stated that Fayemi will soon realise that the ex-governor is a political liability to his ambition.

    He said by his comment, Adebayo had demonstrated allergy and aversion for the progress and development of Iyin Ekiti by claiming that the town can no longer produce the governor again after him.

    The statement read in part: “Let us look at this from a logical way. The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Dr Kayode Fayemi, is from Isan Ekiti, while Ayodele Fayose of the Peoles Democratic Party (PDP) is from Afao Ekiti. The two towns are half a ward and by the grace of God they have produced governor once, longing to return them for a second term.

    “But my town, Iyin Ekiti, has two wards and had only produced a governor for only one term of four years. So, what makes it wrong for a town with two wards and very high population to produce the governor for eight years?

    “Have you ever heard former Governors Bamidele Olumilua and Segun Oni stopping indigenes of Ikere and Ifaki Ekiti respectively from vying for such position? No leader with vision for development, except Adebayo will think in this highly barbaric way.”

     

  • ‘Ekiti should vote wisely on June 21’

    ‘Ekiti should vote wisely on June 21’

    In this piece, Rotimi Opeoluwa enjoins the people of Ekiti State to vote for a candidate with an antecedent of service and record of honour and integrity during the governorship election scheduled for June 21.

    The speculation had been rife for some time that Abuja, nay the ruling People’s Democratic Party, (PDP), had long concluded plans to “capture” the Southwest at all cost, including the use of “janjaweed tactics” in 2015. Some say, it is fait accompli, given the re-emergence of Ayodele Fayose in Ekiti and Senator Iyiola Omisore in the State of Osun.

    Some newspapers say Fayose has “regained his groove”, but some commentators say it is not yet uhuru for him, citing Anambra and Ondo polls as examples. Those who hold this view say fayose’s emergence is diversionary, adding that the grand objective is to ensure that Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele (MOB) of the Labour Party, who they say, has a presidential endorsement to sail through.

    Arguably, whatever anxieties some have about Fayose are not misplaced, given that he was governor between 2003 and 2006 when he be strode the state like an emperor. His rule was iron-fisted. He never tolerated dissent. For Fayose, it is either you are for him or against him. With him, there was no luxury of a middle ground. He outlawed it. He was simply a tornado, leaving in its trail wailings and gnashing of teeth.  During Fayose’s Administration, people were serially killed in broad daylight. Five protesting students from the College of Education Ikere were killed. It happened on March, 16, 2004. We recall the killing of Dr. Ayo Daramola. Tunde Omojola was brutally murdered in Ifaki-Ekiti.

    He simply went berserk. He bore his fangs everywhere. He and his ragtag supporters played god. Traditional rulers were routinely harassed and insulted. He savagely dealt with politicians, especially those who do not share his understanding of politics both within and beyond his party. To differ with him was to court trouble. The university community was not spared his venom. Inferiority complex drove him mad. He engineered the removal of Professor Akin Oyebode, a world acclaimed International Law expert, on flimsy grounds as Vice Chancellor of the University of Ado-Ekiti. Oddity, which was his style, was elevated as an instrument of state policy. He relished brute force and ensured that intimidation of perceived opponents went unabated.

    The fiasco that characterised his reign between 2003 and 2006, before his impeachment leaves a sour taste in the mouth. “Paradise was lost” under his supervision and the tragedy is that he makes light these infractions. Some of his supporters chant that he has changed, but he is still visibly gabby. He exhibited that much in the build-up to the PDP primaries and has flaunted it as a virtue ever since.

    He is yet to come clean on why he was impeached on October 16, 2006 by 22 out of 24 members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly.

    He maintains that he has changed. I ask, “change from what to what”? It is a known fact that the leopard never changes his spot. Fayose represents a grave danger to the sanity and good neighbourliness, which currently pervades the state.

    Some say there is no indictment against him. True, what about justice denied? That Fayose walks free today does not obviate his conviction in the court of public opinion.

    With Fayose’s emergence, it happily gives room for a measure of comparism between him and the incumbent, John Kayode Fayemi. What a world of difference! The former was a huge deficit; the current, an asset. The current is studious and highly methodological, the former is lousy. JKF is a promise still at dawn. One dispenses violence as a currency of his political engagement; the other restored peace and amity. Fayose is incorrigible. JKF is civil, amenable, intellectually stimulating and very articulate. You can disagree with JKF, argue with him and still have your head unbowed. But the former governor does not have the temperament for good conduct. JKF explains, but the former governor is dismissive and rude. In JKF, it is safe to say here is a gentleman in whom there is no guile. That cannot be said of Fayose. He is a divisive character JKF is a unifier.

    Fayose is toxic style. Things have changed since he returned. The PDP secretariat was torched. Some JKF campaign banners across the state were shredded. Given Fayose’s style, it is right to assume that Armageddon is around the corner.

    Fayose is already sure of victory, but he must be reminded of how he lost woefully in his last electoral contest. The then Action Congress senatorial candidate, now Senator Babafemi Ojudu, trounced him silly. The polity is heated up not because of his oratory prowess, not for this promise to drive the state to higher ground but because of his notoriety and appetite for anarchy. This is no time for indifference. No, the moment calls for vigilance. The dog is poised to return to its vomit. Hs deficiencies will make him resort to untoward tactics. It is simply not his fault.

    We dare not ask about his dubious performance as governor, we are only told that he has “experience”. He trumpets that much too. Certainly, his experience includes impunity, looting and debasing our common heritage as highly ethical people. More of his experience includes masking his credibility challenge to the undiscerning. Can anybody say he has a demonstrable ability to govern, let alone inspire the confidence of Ekiti people? Remember his impeachment from office was greeted with spontaneous joy across the land.

    His re-appearance was greeted by a cocktail of violence. But, typical of the PDP, the family affair mechanism has been applied. Fayose has recommended some for ministerial slots and there is now the peace of the graveyard, since the PDP remains, “the chop-chop party”. Peace is a cherished commodity in Ekiti.  We beseech the enfant terrible to maintain some decorum in his delusional race to the government house. This appeal become imperative, given that only yesterday the governor’s convey was allegedly attacked by thugs that poured out of the Fayose Campaign Office.

    Democracy no doubt is intriguing. Imagine its puzzling twist and turns and how such a character well known for abnormality will seek the people’s mandate, yet again after dehumanising them. It is simply ironic. Good enough the electorate know both JKF and Fayose and have seen both in the saddle. In the coming election, Fayose shall be retired for the good and sanity of all.

     

    Opeyeoluwa, is a legislative aide to Senator Babafemi Ojudu and South West Co-ordinator for Young Patriots.

     

  • Southwest as progressives’ stronghold

    Southwest as progressives’ stronghold

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are locked in a battle of supremacy in the Southwest. The proposed governorship polls in Ekiti and Osun states, which is the first plase of the battle, will reveal their strengths and weaknesses, ahead of the 2015 general elections Group Political Editor  EMMANUEL OLADESU reports.

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are warming up for battle in the Southwest geo-political zone. On June 21, eyes will be on Ekiti State, where voters will troop out from 130 towns and villages to make a choice. The candidates are Governor Kayode Fayemi (APC), Mr. Ayodele Fayose (PDP) and Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele (Labour Party). Also, on August 9, voters from 30 local governments will make a choice between Governor Rauf Aregbesola (APC) and Senator Iyiola Omisore (PDP). In the two states, gladiators are on the field canvassing for votes.

    Fayemi is seeking re-election on merit. Even, key opposition figures have attested to his performance in the last three and half years. Apart from restoring peace and fostering development, he has presided over a transparent government. But, in Nigeria, performance is not the only criterion for winning an election. The war scholar and pro-democracy activist is seeking the renewal of his mandate at a time the PDP is scheming to bounce back in the Fountain of Knowledge. While Fayemi is campaigning based on his achievements, the opposition, which is pushing for power shift, is relying on the federal arsenal, police control, financial muscle and capacity for manipulation.

    Fayemi’s challenges are former Governor Ayo Fayose, who was removed from office in 2006, and Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele, a member of the House of Representatives, who defected to the Labour Party (LP) last year. His running mate is Deputy Governor Modupe Adelabu, a Professor of Education and princess of Ado-Ekiti. Fayose and Bamidele are yet to name their running mates.

    In 2011, Fayose contested for the Senate as the LP candidate. He lost to Senator Babafemi Ojudu. Bamidele became a member of the House of Representatives that year on the platform of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

    Aregbesola has the people behind him. Since his stolen mandate was restored, the governor has not relented in the work of development. Like Fayemi, Aregbesola has fought the infrastructure battle, restored the dignity of the state and given hope to the indigenes. His challenger is Omisore, who was impeached as the deputy governor in 2002. The Ife-born politician is a veteran governorship contender, having tried his luck thrice, but without success.

    Traditionally, the Southwest is the stronghold of the progressive bloc. When power shifted to the conservatives in the past, it was not without controversy and dire consequences. It was due to the fact that only progressive governments have tried to satisfy the peoples’ yearning for ‘life more abundant’. From the days of the Action Group (AG) led by the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the Southwest had placed its hand on the welfarist plough without an intention to look back. In the Second Republic, the zone built on its First Republic’s antecedents by embracing the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), also led by Awo. Even, in the post-Awolowo era, Southwest could only embrace the leftist platforms, including the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Alliance for Democracy (AD), Action Congress (AC), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), and now, the APC.

    When the reactionary elements made the first attempt to capture the zone in the First Republic, it was disastrous. Although the leader, Awo, was caged, his followers did not disperse. The conservative leaders succeeded in installing the late Chief Ladoke Akintola, the leader of the Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP), as the Premier. But, for four years, his administration was full of tension. In 1965, the traitor’s time was up. Up to now, the memory of the wild wild West lingers. It symbolised the rejection of interlopers. The event drew the curtains on the First Republic.

    Thirteen years after the first military interregnum, the progressives bounced back. The five states of Oyo, Ondo, Ogun, Bendel and Lagos were administered by the ideologically inclined Awo’s lieutenants. who implemented the four cardinal programmes of free education, free health services, full employment and rural development. Reminiscent of the First Republic, the enemies of the zone hijacked power in Oyo and Ondo states. The reaction of voters was spontaneous. The two states were in flames, once again. Electoral terrorism led to killings and destruction of property. Peace and tranquility took flight. Instructively, certain events heralded the trouble in the dominant group in the zone in the two dispensations. Desperate conservative politicians capitalised on the cracks on the wall to rig the polls.

    In 1999, the Southwest was about putting its house in order. AD was a promising party. It was growing in leaps and bounds. But, the political lessons of the past were lost on the leaders. As the AG crisis led to a bitter rift, the Afenifere crisis led to a split in the AD. Also, in 2003, AD governors, backed by Afenifere leaders, had a pact with PDP National Leader, former President Olusegun Obasanjo. It paled into a wrong calculation. The election of 2003 was a festival of rigging in the Southwest. The resultant earthquake shook the zone to its foundation. The former President, it was said, tricked the governors. After mobilising for his second term ambition, they met their waterloo. Only former Lagos State Governor Bola Tinubu survived the onslaught. Between 2003 and 2007, Ondo, Oyo. Ogun, Osun and Ekiti states groaned under the PDP.

    From Lagos State, the progressives picked up the gauntlet. Leading the soldiers of democracy on the battle front was Tinubu. After three years of struggle, the coast for clear. Not only were the mandates restored in Ekiti and Osun states, the PDP also suffered defeat during the 2011 governorship polls in Oyo and Ogun states.

    Since 2011, the opposition has been on the prowl in the zone. Will the PDP dislodge the APC on June 21 in Ekiti and August 9 in Osun? Time will tell.

     

  • Bamidele: I’d use only local contractors

    Bamidele: I’d use only local contractors

    The governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in Ekiti State, Opeyemi Bamidele, has promised to give priority to those he called ‘local contractors’ over ‘foreigners’.

    According to him, efforts to fight poverty must incorporate award of contracts to artisans and contractors.

    Bamidele spoke in Igede-Ekiti, headquarters of Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state, noting that the welfare of the people in all ways would be his concern if elected governor.

    Bamidele maintained that the state is blessed with many competent professionals who would make it proud through execution of quality projects in construction and other areas.

    He promised to pay pensioners benefits due to them regularly and without allowing arrears, pledging “to tackle the problems of youth unemployment in the state”

    The governorship candidate promised to make teaching attractive, adding that civil servants would equally “be given their dues in all ramifications.”

     

  • Bamidele emerges Ekiti LP’s candidate

    Bamidele emerges Ekiti LP’s candidate

    •’I’ll be an unusual leader’

    The Labour Party (LP) in Ekiti State affirmed yesterday Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele as its sole candidate for the June 21 governorship election.

    At the party’s congress at Aja-Leye Civic Centre in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, Bamidele emerged through a process of “open affirmation” by the 444 delegates in attendance.

    The congress was overseen by a delegation from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), led by its Administrative Secretary, Mr. Emmanuel Agboola.

    At the congress, the State LP Chairman, Akin Omole, recommended Bamidele to the delegation sent by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), led by the National Deputy Chairman, Chief Joseph Akinlaja, for ratification.

    The party’s flag was presented to Bamidele by Akinlaja, who said: “As at March 19 when the procurement of the governorship nomination form closed, only Bamidele obtained the form. Whoever carries himself as the LP governorship candidate in Ekiti, besides Bamidele, would be treated as an impostor.”

    Bamidele pledged to “lead the state with humility”, if elected, saying: “I will not be a governor that will rule the people from the Olympian height. I will not be a governor that will promise to do certain things and later renege.

    “I promise to lead the party to victory in Ekiti. I was a member of the defunct Action Congress (AC) from the beginning to the end. I was an active player in defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). I was the National Publicity Secretary of the defunct Alliance for Democracy (AD) for three years. I was there from the beginning to the end. What I am trying to say is that I know the political tendencies in and out.

    “Beyond the hype, politics and media, I know what the All Progressives Congress (APC) is capable of doing and what it cannot do. I know that what they are afraid of is the language of the people; the language of mass mobilisation. I know the political and administrative tendencies. I will work with the leadership of our party as an organisational man. I will not govern from an Olympian height.

    “At 19 years, I had the opportunity of serving this country. I was the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the National Association of Ondo State Students. I understand what it means to be an organisational man and have organisational discipline.

    “I started as a politician. I was a member of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). After that, I became a member of the AC. I understand the role of the party leadership and know what it takes to recognise stakeholders when you are running a government.

    “Ekiti people will have an unusual leader. I will not provide typical leadership. I will not run a government that people will not have access to. Mine will be a leadership that will carry stakeholders along in decision making. I will draw a line between politics and governance.”

     

  • APC, PDP, LP battle for Ekiti

    APC, PDP, LP battle for Ekiti

    Ekiti State is warming up for the June 21 governorship election. Three governorship candidates-Governor Kayode Fayemi (All Progressives Congress), former Governor Ayo Fayose (Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele (Labour Party) will kick off their campaigns this month. Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU examines the issues that will shape the exercise.

    On June 21, the governorship elec-tion will hold in Ekiti State. Three candidates are competing for one crown. Who will secure the key to the Government House?

    The three politicians are household names in the Fountain of Knowledge. The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, is the incumbent governor. He is seeking a second term. His challengers are former Governor Ayodele Fayose of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele of the Labour Party (LP). There will be other candidates running on the platforms of smaller political parties. But, they will become spectators on the election day. Before the poll, these smaller parties may form alliance with any of the three parties or endorse any of the three flag bearers.

    Fayemi, the war scholar and pro-democracy activist, was elected as the governor in 2007. But, his mandate was stolen by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In 2010, the stolen mandate was retrieved. In the last three and half years, he has worked tirelessly to change the face of the state. He was unanimously endorsed for continuity by his party few months ago.

    Fayose was the governor between 2003 and 2006. He had unfolded plans for a second term before he was removed as the governor. In protest, he supported Fayemi against the deposed PDP governor, Mr. Segun Oni, when the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) candidate was struggling to reclaim his mandate. In 2011, the former governor contested for the Senate on the platform of the LP. But, he was defeated by the ACN candidate, Senator Babafemi Ojudu. He left the LP for the PDP two years ago. A street wise politician, Fayose moved swiftly to get hold of the party’s executive committee by sponsoring his associates into party offices during the state congress.

    Other PDP governorship aspirants who lost to him at the primaries have discredited the exercise. Former Police Affairs Minister Navy Capt. Caleb Olubolade, former High Commissioner to Canada Ambassador Dare Bejide, former Afenifere Publicity Secretary Prince Dayo Adeyeye, former Deputy Governor Bisi Omoyeni, and Senator Gbenga Aluko have protested to the PDP national leadership that the shadow poll conducted by a panel chaired by former Rivers State Governor Peter Odilli was a farce. The National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, is yet to verify their claims.

    Bamidele is likely to emerge as the LP candidate. He left his original camp for the LP last year to pursue his ambition. Initially, many thought that both the PDP and the LP will combine their strengths to confront the APC. However, with Fayose’s emergence, that calculation may not hold because Bamidle may not play a second fiddle. Many are of the opinion that the House of Representatives member should have stayed on in the APC and compete for the ticket with Fayemi, instead of leaving his political family to seek refuse in the LP.

    Many issues will shape the contest on June 21. In the last 14 years, Ekiti has produced seven governors and administrators. None of the governors before Fayemi was re-elected, owing to some circumstances. The first governor, Otunba Niyi Adebayo, who was in the saddle between 1999 and 2003, claimed that he was rigged out by the PDP. Fayose, who took over from him, was removed by the House of Assembly before the expiration of his term. In 2007, Segun Oni, an engineer, became the governor on the platform of the PDP. But, in 2010, he was deposed by the court for rigging. The mantle fell on Fayemi, who has in the face of difficulties and financial constraints, mustered the strength to return Ekit to its glorious period.

    House of Representatives member Hon. Bimbo Daramola, who chairs Fayemi Campaign Organisation, said that the governor deserves a second term because of his performance. He scored Fayemi high on job creation, infrastructural development, road construction, civil service reforms, school rehabilitation and social security. “Governor Kayode Fayemi has lived up to expectation. He has justified the confidence reposed in him. We has served Ekiti most faithfully”, Daramola said, as he reeled details of the governor’s achievements.

    There is no sector that the governor has not touched. A searchlight has been beamed on his activities and there is no iota of doubt that he has run a transparent government. Worried by the plight of vulnerable aged people, the governor set up the social security scheme. No fewer than 25,000 of them receive a monthly stipend of N5,000 each. This feat has been particularly lauded by many people because Ekiti receives almost the least monthly allocation from the Federation Account. The staff audit, using biometrics, has enabled the government to bridge the loopholes. The method has curbed the incidence of ghost workers. Workers who were short-changed in the past now receive their normal salaries as they are no more paid by middlemen.

    Also, the concerted effort at computerising the school system has yielded dividends. It has boosted computer literacy among pupils. Ekiti pupils no more learn under trees. The modern classrooms provided by the government has enhanced the learning environment. Road projects abandoned by the previous administrations have been completed. The urban renewal programme has given Ado, the state capital, a facelift. Owing to the commitment to road projects, Ekiti has become a huge construction site.

    Daramola also pointed out that Fayemi has created employment opportunities by reviving the Ire Burnt Block Industry, Ire, and the Ikogosi Warm Springs. The free health services for the children, old people and pregnant women have been sustained and reduced mortality. He said that, unlike the past, Ekiti is also largely peaceful. “One of the issues that will shape the contest is the performance of the governor. We knew where Ekiti was before he came in and we know where Ekiti is now. We believe that he deserves a second term because he will build on the achievements of his first tenure”., Daramola added.

    Unlike the two parties; the PDP and the LP, Fayemi has a united party behind him. There is no crack on the wall. The team is solid in reputation, character and patriotism. There will be no acrimony over the choice of a running mate because there is no need changing the winning team. There are less distractions within the ruling party. Therefore, the platform will focus its energy on the governor’s re-election bid because it is insulated from post-primary crisis.

    The PDP does not have this advantage. Although Fayose was declared the winner of the shadow poll by Odili, other aspirants have rejected the verdict. Ahead of the primary election, one of them, Deji Ajayi, had approached the court to stop the exercise. But, the case was not assigned to any judge before the exercise. Urging the PDP leadership to cancel the result, Senator Aluko alleged that the contest was fraught with irregularities. He complained that the ward delegate congress was skewed towards Fayose, who he described as a non-party member. Aluko alleged that Fayose’s return to the PDP was ot formalised before his participation at the primaries.

    Before the shadow poll, 13 aspirants had canvassed the option of consensus candidacy to prevent post-primary crisis. But, the former governor kicked against it, describing them as unpopular contenders who wanted to get the ticket through the back door. Omoyeni explained that the option was embraced to forge unity and harmony, wondering why an individual could object to it for selfish interest. “This is laughable and mischievous and, if urgent step is not taken by the leadership, the party may be heading into a serious crisis,” he warned.

    At the weekend, some PDP aspirants forwarded petitions to Muazu. They also urged President Goodluck Jonathan to intervene in the crisis, which they said, may slow down the PDP campaign activities. A party source said that the declaration of Fayose as the winner is not final, adding that the process should be validated. “There are complaints. 13 people are against one man in the same party. Their grievances will be looked into and reconciliation effected. If this is not done, the party may go for the election as a divided house”, he said. But, Fayose’s media aide, Idowu Adelusi, said that the complaints of the aspirants are baseless. He described them as bad losers, urging the party faithful to ignore them. He debunked the claim that the case against the primary election was in court, pointing out that it was neither listed nor assigned to any judge.

    Another party source said that Fayose and other aspirants may be invited to Abuja by the national PDP secretariat for a truce.

    If Fayose is handed the ticket, his running mate will come from either the North or South Senatorial District. Fayose is from the Central District.

    The LP is yet to conduct its selection process. But, there are indications that the party will field Bamidele, the federal legislator from Iyin-Ekiti. Bamidele is not a baby politician. The former President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) learned politics at the feet of his benefactor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who he served as a Personal Assistant when he was a senator. Under the Tinubu Administration in Lagos State, Bamidele has also served as a Special Adviser, Alliance for Democracy (AD) Director of Research and Publicity, and commissioner for eight years. In 2011, he was a senatorial aspirant. However, the party asked him to go to the House of Representatives. He was beside Fayemi during the battle to reclaim the stolen mandate. However, during that struggle, a gulf suddenly developed between the two compatriots.

    A party source said: “During that time of liberation battle, as we now call it, it was suspected that the former Lagos commissioner was warming up for the governorship, thinking that a structure should be on ground for progressives, if the case failed at the Court of Appeal. It was about ambition, or a clash of ambition, that led to the problem between the two friends. But, one would have expected our leaders to settle the difference or quarrel that came out of that. Since that mutual confidence collapsed, the two, psychologically speaking, parted ways.”

    For now, many believe that the LP has a weak structure in Ekiti. How far the LP aspirant can re-organise the party and reposition it for the June 21 contest is a challenge. There are fears that Bamidele’s entry may divide the APC votes. But, Daramola rejected this argument. “Even, in Iyin Ekiti, Fayemi will beat him,” said Daramola.

     

  • Ekiti, Bamidele trade words over finances

    House of Representatives member and Labour Party(LP) governorship aspirant, Opeyemi Bamidele, has accused Governor Kayode Fayemi of wasting nearly N400 billion since assumption of office.

    He made the allegation yesterday in his Iyin-Ekiti country home at the weekend during the LP’s ward congresses held across the 17 wards in the state.

    But the Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Tayo Ekundayo, fired back, describing the lawmaker as a pathological liar.

    He said Bamidele has always employed lying to deal with his perceived enemies.

    Bamidele accused the state of taking N3 billion monthly, saying the deduction has accumulated to N120 billion.

    According to him: “This is aside 16 Local Governments who also take a sum of N3 billion monthly which amounts to N120 billion in 40 months.

    “We also receive money from the SURE-P, MDGs, Ecological Funds and the N25 billion taken from the Capital Market.”

    But speaking with reporters on phone, Ekundayo said: “Where did he get the figure from. What is the entire money coming to the state? This is political season and people will conjure all sorts of all.

    “Again, we have always known Bamidele as a veteran liar. He does not ever hide his hatred for the truth all his life.

    “There was never a time Ekiti gets N3 billion

    allocation. If he could tell lie in this regard, he is capable of telling lies on other issues. He is just running his mouth.”

    He added: “Let the people be alert not to be swayed by his lies. More of such lies will come from him from time to time. But, again, his lying strategy is an indication that Ekiti people should be wary of his evil plans.”

  • Bamidele begins mobilisation

    Bamidele begins mobilisation

    Ekiti State Labour Party (LP) governorship aspirant Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele has begun mobilisation for the next election. He urged the people to support his push for change.

    The House of Representatives member, who is on tour of the 16 local government, lamented the slow pace of industrialisation in Ekitiland.

    In a statement by his media aide, Mr Taiwo Asubiojo, Bamidle said that the grassroots would be effectively mobilised for the installation of an LP government this year.

    He promised to make industrialisation his priority, stressing that “Ekiti indigenes are not happy that the state does not have one single industry.”

    The aspirants said that industrialisation would boost job creation and improve the living standard of the people.

    Bamidele dismissed reports that the LP is crisis-ridden in the state, saying that there is no crack on the wall.

    He said: “All other smaller political parties in the state have marched to the LP, knowing that, if they defect to the APC, they will not be given enough avenue to actively participate in governance.”

    The aspirant, who expressed optimism about free and fair elections in Ekiti, urged the electoral commission to avoid the pitfall that marred the recent Anambra State governorship poll.