Wole Balogun, Ado-Ekiti
The immediate past Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Ekiti State, Mr. Owoseni Ajayi, has defected from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Ajayi said he was leaving the PDP to join forces with the progressives to ensure that Ekiti is rescued .
Ajayi, who addressed newsmen ,on Monday, where he formally announced his defection to the APC, alleged that Governor Ayo Fayose has refused to allow a genuine reconciliation in the PDP.
The lawyer alleged further that Fayose’s dissolution of the State Executive Council on June 11, 2018 was targeted at him and former Commissioner for Public Utilities, Mr. Deji Adesua.
Ajayi, a two-time Attorney General and a PDP governorship aspirant, disclosed that Fayose dissolved the state exco less than twenty four hours before he faced an interview panel for the conferment of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).
He also alleged that he was removed from the new exco because of his governorship ambition.
He said: “I saw this as the height of political intolerance nof dissenting voices to the governor’s desire to impose a “toy” on the state in order to perpetuate his third term agenda.”
Ajayi said: “I decided to remain resolute in contesting the gubernatorial primary on the platform of PDP.
“Several meetings of PDP aspirants: Prince Dayo Adeyeye, Senator Biodun Olujimi, Ambassador Dare Bejide and myself which culminated in the setting up of the Senator David Mark Committee to intervene and guarantee a free, fair and transparent primary in Ekiti State.
“We attended several meetings in Abuja for this purpose during which a guarantee of free and fair primary was extracted from the governor.
“The PDP primary has come and gone with the governor’s toy boy emerging victorious narrowly.
“No practical and genuine move was made by the governor to resolve with the teeming opposition to the candidature of Prof. Kolapo Olusola as the PDP candidate hence the massive drift of stakeholders from the party.
“Today, the list of PDP stakeholders that ensured 16-0 victory for the party against the (then) incumbent Governor Fayemi then has become endless.
“They include among others Prince Dayo Adeyeye, Chief Bisi Omoyeni, Surveyor Abiodun Aluko, Ambassador Dare Bejide, Segun Adewale, Sikiru Tae Lawal who are now contesting on the platform of other political parties and numerous other political appointees who had resigned from his government.
“Yet, the governor have not considered it worthwhile to shift ground, rather he wants continuity of the present oppressive status quo boasting to whoever cares for any dissenting voice to go to blazes as an octopus.
“In the circumstance, as a political character with a focus for a good egalitarian society with a progressive mind where an individual does not become the Lord of the Manor, I have decided from today, 11th June, 2018, to withdraw my membership of PDP and join APC forthwith to actualise my political dream.”