• Gov plotting to sell PDP to opposition –Adeyeye
From Wole Balogun, Ado Ekiti
Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has said he owes nobody any apology over the adoption of his deputy, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, as his preferred candidate in the 2018 governorship election.
Fayose also said he cannot be threatened or blackmailed by anybody, insisting he has done nothing to breach any rule or law of the party or the country.
The governor, who spoke in Ado-Ekiti, yesterday, through his Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi, was reacting to a petition allegedly sent to the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), over Olusola’s adoption.
“To start with, as a party member and a citizen of Nigeria, I reserve the right to support any candidate for any elective post and even vote same in an election. Those who are crying over spilt milk should put their enemies in the position of a governor, when they have such opportunity.
“I have no apology for my action because I have only exercised my rights and I have not breached any rule or law of the party or that of the country. If the petitioners are the major stakeholders and we are the minority, time will tell. However, we reiterate that anyone who feels disappointed by the action should wait for the party’s primary because it is their rights.
“Since they have written to Senator Ahmed Makarfi, they should equally copy Senator Ali Modu-Sheriff. All the complainants got to their current positions by God’s grace and my humble self, who God used for them. If they complain about imposition and endorsement, let them face the electorate, too, and adopt their own standard that is different from the one we used. At least, I am the man to be succeeded and I am entitled to support who I like.
“Let them know that I am not the type to be threatened. If anybody has anything against me, let them go to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,” he said.
Governor Fayose wondered “why some people would be having needless headache over a matter that does not preclude them from exercising their rights.”
Meanwhile, former minister of State for Works and Publicity Secretary of PDP National Caretaker Committee, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, has accused Fayose of plotting to sell the party to the opposition, with endorsement of his deputy.
Adeyeye, who is also an aspirant for the governorship poll, described the alleged ‘imposition’ as a nullity, “having infracted the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act 2010, as amended.”
He assured party members, who welcomed him at his campaign office in Ado-Ekiti that Olusola’s adoption would not stand and added that the party’s National Working Committee, led by senator Makarfi, would conduct a free, fair poll to elect a credible candidate to fly the party’s flag in 2018.
Adeyeye said Fayose’s adoption of Olusola would not stand.
Present at the meeting were former commissioner for Public Utilities under Fayose, Deji Adesua, and a recently sacked commissioner in the state Universal Basic Education Board, Dele Olugbemi.
“Governor Fayose said he was directed by God to anoint his deputy but, The Bible says ‘woe betide a man who is saying when he had not been directed by God.’ I want to see that someone is trying to place a curse on himself here.
“What the governor did was a flagrant breach of the Constitution and the Electoral Act and it cannot stand. Fayose is a governor and whoever occupies such a position must learn how to protect the law. He should not take any action that will make him look irresponsible.”
“PDP in Ekiti is in a delicate position. We have no federal might behind us. We are not in control of the army, police and others .
“Again, we are no longer enjoying the popularity with which we came into office in 2014. If you do opinion poll today, it will not favour us because of the actions and inactions of this administration.
“However, we have it on good authority hat someone is trying to sell the party to the opposition and this we are going to resist. In 2014, I would have won the 70 percent of the primary if not for the abracadabra they did .
“So, I have called my supporters and reassured them that primary will be conducted and I will emerge because I have the people behind me,” he said.