Wole Balogun, Ado-Ekiti
A group, Ekiti Development Front, founded by a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adeoye Aribasoye, has warmed the hearts of over 2,000 women in the state towards the flag bearer of the party, Kayode Fayemi, ahead of the July 14 poll, by dishing out various empowerment to support them.
The group has also denied the rumour making the rounds that it was collecting Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) of electorate so as to allegedly use them for rigging.
Recall that the Ekiti State Government had alleged that the APC was using some organisations to collect PVCs of the people, and promised them empowerment.
The government alleged that such cards would later be reloaded and rendered useless for its original owners, while members of the party would use them.
But Aribasoye who debunked the allegation while distributing materials to the beneficiaries at the third phase of his empowerment programme in Ado Ekiti at the Olaoluwa Secondary school premises, said: “One can understand why Fayose is disturbed by our membership drive and empowerment activities for the people
“It is clear from his reaction that the heat has been turned on him. The heat is on him because of his own failure at fulfilling promises. You will recall that same Fayose during his gubernatorial campaign asked Ekiti youths to submit their CV at his spotless hotel with a promise that all of them will be provided with employment.
“All he did then was to cajole them. Till date, none of these youths was employed.
“It is therefore clear that such a man will not believe anyone could make a promise and fulfill same, the way our organisation is doing.
“Secondly, Fayose has this false notion that he owns the streets and that no other person can pull crowd in town. This was one of the major reasons he became unsettled when he saw that unprecedented crowd that came out to welcome Fayemi during the welcome rally.
“I know he must have been receiving security report about huge number of people coming to our head office to collect our membership form.
“Really, knowing that our organisation with such large followership is supporting Dr. John Kayode Fayemi gave Fayose sleepless nights, hence the attendant criticism of our group.
“Unfortunately for him and his media aide, the more he tried to undermine our program, the best Ekiti people believe in our organization. More so we are fulfilling our promises to the people and people are on daily basis reposing confidence in our ability to deliver on our promises,” he said.
Items given to beneficiaries included, washing machines, sewing machines, stoning machines for fashion designers, walking stick, and grinding machines.
Others were empowered with driers for hairdressers, compressors/engines for vulcanizers, filling machines for shoe makers, spraying pump, generators, day old chicks with feed among others with 24 families getting social intervention of food stuffs. with among others.