APC Leaders Fight Dirty in Ekiti State

Intra-party crises among prominent members of the ruling All Progressives Congress in Ekiti State is threatening the survival of the party and its chances in future elections, ABIODUN NEJO writes

This is not the best of times for the All Progressives Congress in Ekiti State as the party leaders are clearly working at cross purposes.

The division, which has been created in the party since the build-up to the 2018 governorship election, is getting more pronounced by the day, especially as fireworks among the group loyal to the governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi and others loyal to one aggrieved leader of the other are daily becoming the order of the day.

The governorship primary, which was won by Fayemi, left sores in the throats of some aspirants and prominent party members, including a former APC Deputy National Chairman, Chief Segun Oni; Presidential adviser, Senator Babafemi Ojudu; former governorship aspirant, Dr Oluwole Oluyede; former House of Representatives members, Bimbo Daramola; and Oyetunde Ojo.

While it was expected that all the aspirants, who jostled for the APC flag would rally round Fayemi, especially as the first thing he did on clinching the ticket was to extend the olive branch to them with personal visits.

Along the line, some co-contestants, including Muyiwa Olumilua, Dr. Mojisola Yaya-Kolade, and Bamidele Faparusi teamed up with the governor and became commissioners for information, health, and infrastructure, respectively, but others did not.

For instance, Ojudu, who stepped down from the race about two days before the primaries, citing an alleged design to favor a particular aspirant, however, made it clear that he would support the party to victory but not Fayemi.

Oni, who came second in the primary, headed to the court to challenge the governor’s emergence as a candidate, saying Fayemi did not properly resign his appointment as Minister of Mines and Steel Development, as he prayed the court to declare him (Oni) the validly elected APC governorship candidate.

Oni’s cases against the APC and Fayemi, which he lost at the high, appeal and supreme courts, served as the precursor to the many crises, which were to rock the ruling party in the state from aggrieved members.

The party, however, did not spare Oni after the litigation as the executive of his Ifaki Ward II in Ifaki Ekiti, suspended him from the party in May 2019, a decision that supporters of the former governor alleged was masterminded by Fayemi through the APC State Working Committee.

The former APC deputy national chairman, who alleged that Fayemi victimized his supporters in the party, succumbed to call by his supporters to quit the ruling party for the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.

Ayooluwa Joshua