A group, Ekiti State Stakeholders, has alleged that Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi is behind the suspension of ex-governor Segun Oni by his All Progressives Congress (APC) Ward in Ifaki Ekiti, for alleged anti-party activities.
It suggested that the suspension was vendetta for Oni’s judicial challenge of Fayemi’s victory at the polls and warned that such act threatened the party’s future in the state.
It urged the party’s national secretariat to intervene.
The group made the claim in a May 3 letter to the APC National Chairman in Abuja, titled: “A call to save APC in Ekiti State”.
The letter was signed by six persons, including Senator Anthony Adeniyi and a Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari, ex-Senator Babafemi Ojudu.
The others are three former House of Representatives members: Oyetunde Ojo, John Akintoye, Dr. Ife Arowosoge and a former Ekiti State Director-General Bureau of Statistics, Otunba Ben Oguntuase.
They said although reports claimed that Oni was suspended by his Ward in Ifaki Ekiti, “we know all too well that the ward cannot so brazenly make such a move which is patently against the party’s constitution without some prompting from the top echelons of the party and the government in the state.”
According to the elders, the governor had also fueled disaffection in the party by allegedly monopolising appointments to party positions in the state.
They added: “In the aftermath of the election, Dr. Fayemi and his clique put together with the State Executive, the LGA Executives and the Ward Executives of the party without any consultation with or consideration and inclusion of other interests.
“Even where nominations were made by other tendencies, they were jettisoned as the present Deputy Governor was mandated to prepare their list of party executives state-wide to the exclusion of others and with complete disregard for the principles of internal democracy.”
They reminded the party of the need “to promote internal democracy, broaden its membership base, reach out to all and be inclusively accommodating to all those who share its goals and ideology,” without which the party would become extinct.
They alleged further that “a large number of aspirants” out of favour with the governor, who paid for forms to contest both the National and State Assembly elections, were not given forms.
“While we pacified them in order to give the party a chance of success in the elections, they have been ostracised and treated with disdain in the aftermath of the elections. This remains a potent threat to the future of the party,” it added.
The elders said the APC faces “an existential threat in Ekiti State, if current tendencies continue.”
