Category: Politics

The governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi has denied rumour flying around that he had endorsed the former governor of Oyo State, Alao Akala as the leader of All Progressives Congress in Oyo State in the recently reconciliation meeting held in Ibadan.

Fayemi said this in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Yinka Oyebode, on Wednesday following the controversy generated by Alao-Akala’s claim that he has been endorsed as the Leader of the party by the national leadership.
The Unity Forum of the APC had in a statement on Tuesday also faulted the claim by the former Governor.

Fayemi also said his meeting with the leaders of the APC in Oyo State over the weekend was not to confer leadership on Alao-Akala but an assignment by the national leadership, led by the Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni.

The statement by Oyebode reads in full:

Governor Kayode Fayemi was on an assignment on behalf of the National Reconciliation Committee of the APC in charge of the Oyo State crisis.
Governor Akala emerged as Chairman of the Party’s Advisory Council with other distinguished personalities like former Deputy Governors, Iyiola Oladokun and Alake Adeyemo together with the Party Chairman, Akin Oke as members.

They emerged as automatic members by virtue of being the highest elected office holders in the party.
Other Senatorial districts – Oyo South and Oyo Central are to nominate three members each on the advisory council.
The main responsibility of the advisory committee is to help oversee the activities of the party through registration.
At no point was any leader chosen at the Ibadan meeting.

Gov Fayemi has reported back to the National Headquarters the outcome of the meeting of party stakeholders in Ibadan.
Gov Fayemi was only a representative of the reconciliation committee.
At no time at the meeting or thereafter was any leader foisted on the party.

Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi on Monday further demonstrated his administration’s commitment to open governance, transparency, accountability, and citizen engagement with the inauguration of the steering committee of Open Government Partnership (OGP).

The OGP is an international multi-stakeholder initiative aimed at promoting open governance, citizen empowerment, fight corruption, and harness new technology to strengthen governance in member states.

Dr. Fayemi, who inaugurated the committee at the Governor’s Office, Ado- Ekiti, said the OGP initiative was in consonance with his restoration agenda as clearly spelt out in the five pillars of his administration.

The steering committee which is to be coordinated by the Commissioner for Budget, Hon Femi Ajayi, had the Director-General Office of Transformation and Service Delivery ( OTSD), Prof. Mobolaji Aluko; Special Adviser, Bureau of Public Procurement, Mr. O’Seun Odewale; Permanent Secretary (Finance) Mr. Folorunso; Permanent Secretary (Budget) Mr. Adeleke Adefolaju; Accountant General, Mrs. Titilayo Olayinka and Special Adviser (CSO), Mr. Biodun Oluleye.

Others include Prof. Oluwadare CT, Olafunsho Olajide from Disability Not a Barrier Initiative; President Ekiti Chambers of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ECCIMA), Chief Kola Akosile; and Representative of the Institution of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, Mrs. Agbaje.

Members of the steering committee, according to the Governor, were selected from civil society organizations, professional bodies, youth parliaments, public service, and other interest groups in order to ensure more commitment from government to promote open governance, empower citizens, fight corruption, and harness new technology to strengthen governance in Ekiti State.

The Governor explained that his administration has always prioritised inclusion of the needs and aspirations of towns and communities in the State’s annual budgets, adding that the OGP initiative would increase collaboration between government and other stakeholders to improve the standard of living of the people in the state.

Fayemi explained that OGP would further strengthen his administration’s reforms in open budget, open contracting, revenue transparency, beneficial ownership transparency, assets disclosure, access to information, citizen engagement, and empowerment.

Noting that Ekiti was the first State to join OGP in South-western Nigeria, Fayemi expressed delight that his administration’s efforts at deepening good governance and embracing inclusive participation are gaining recognition not only in the country but at the international level.

OduduwaNews has gathered that one of the cabinet members of the governor of Ondo State, Mr. Bisi Ilawole has just resigned his appointment and defected to ZLP ahead of October 10 poll.

The Commissioner who before his resignation on Tuesday was maning the Ondo State Oil Producing Commission (OSOPADEC).

In his resignation letter addressed to Mr Akeredolu, he appreciated the governor for giving him the opportunity to serve the state in the capacity of a Commissioner in the intervention agency.

“Sir, it is my profound gratitude for the rare privilege given to me under your administration to serve as a commissioner representing the good people of Ilaje Oil Producing Communities,” part of his letter reads.

After his resignation, he resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and joined the ZLP, with his supporters.

OduduwaNews has gathered that the crisis brewing in the All Progressives Party in Oyo State has taken a new dimension as the Unity Forum, a sectional group of the party has discountenanced the rumour flying around that Akala has been named the leader of the party in Oyo State.

In a statement jointly signed by four of its leaders namely Senator Soji Akanbi, Senator Olufemi Lanlehin,Senator Ayoade Adeseun, and Alhaji Adebayo Shittu, the Unity Forum said the report did not correctly capture what happened at the meeting held at the residence of Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State in Ibadan on Sunday,September 20, 2020.

The Unity Forum contend that the nature of the meeting as agreed at the peace meeting earlier held in Abuja was subverted when members of the SENACO/ADP/PDP axis of the APC flooded the meeting with about 60 members contrary to the 15 representatives that convener claimed had been invited to the meeting.

The statement also revealed the controversy surrounding the party leadership position.

“The truth is that Governor Fayemi proposed the composition of an advisory council of elders with Otunba Akala as Chairman. When attempts were made by some contributors that Otunba Akala be made the Leader of the party in the state,this was vehemently opposed on two grounds:. One, that the constitution of APC does not make a provision for a Leader.

Second, that given the recent experience of the party with dictatorial leadership,the council of elders should provide collegiate advisory leadership for the party instead of creating another possible dictator. This position became the popular theme in subsequent contributions. The opinion was so overwhelming that in his closing remarks,Otunba Akala angrily rejected the offer to be Chairman of a council of elders. He said he was only ready to be Leader of the party. The meeting however went ahead to resolve that Akala be Chairman of the council while the two surviving former deputy governors in the party and Chairman of the party,Chief Akin Oke, be made automatic members of the council.

They are to consult elders of the party in Oyo Central and Oyo South Senatorial zones to nominate three members each into the council.

“Efforts to elect the representatives at the meeting were resisted as there was no equal representation of stakeholders of the party at the meeting. At this point,it became evident why members of the SENACO/ADP/PDP axis flooded the meeting under the guise of being stakeholders of the APC.

“We call on members of the APC in Oyo State to discountenace the false claims on the peace initiative in the party. The cacophony of voices that has trailed the meeting is a confirmation that the Sunday meeting has worsened rather than help resolve the crisis in the APC in Oyo State”,the statement concluded.

Some members of All Progressives Congress APC in Ekiti State have alleged the governor of the State, Kayode Fayemi of anti-party conduct in the recently held gubernatorial election in Edo State.

The APC leaders in Ekiti State have also alleged that Governor Kayode Fayemi is planning to expel them from the party.

The stakeholders also alleged that the governor supported Godwin Obaseki the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the just concluded Edo State elections.

Mr Obaseki, who joined the PDP after he was denied the APC ticket, defeated Osagie Ize-Iyamu of the APC to win Saturday’s governorship election.

The crisis rocking the APC in Ekiti State has been on for several months.

In an official reaction to their summon, the affected politicians in a statement signed by Bamgboye Adegoroye, sent to newsmen on Monday, said Mr Fayemi was responsible for their summons.

“A curious process is taking place in the Ekiti State branch of our progressive party. Our governor and the chairman of Nigeria’s Governors Forum, Dr Kayode Fayemi, after installing the governor of Edo State in a clear case of anti party, is bent on expelling leaders of the party.

“Towards achieving this purpose he (Fayemi) has set up a committee of his adulators to put us on trial in a predetermined process. The committee is chairmanned by one Mr Ajigbolamu who recently left the PDP to join our party. We also know that the affairs of the committee is managed by the office of the Attorney General Mr Wale Fapounda, his anointed for the position of governor when his term is over in 2022.”

The stakeholders also said despite assisting the governor politically, Mr Fayemi has decided to punish them by appointing new executives of the party in a private home in Iyin-Ekiti, which they said violates the constitution of the party.

Earlier last week, OduduwaNews had reported the fire incident that gutted Headquarters of Ondo State Independent National Electoral Commission INEC where it was claimed that almost 5000 card readers were lost to the inferno.

In the meantime, the Chairman, Independent Electoral Commission INEC, Prof. Yakub Mahmud said its commission has transferred Oyo State smart card readers to Ondo for guber election.

This was contained in a statement made available to newsmen on Friday.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), says it has ordered for a transfer of over 6,000 smart card readers from its Oyo state office to Ondo for the smooth conduct of Oct. 10, governorship election in Ondo state.

The Chairman however charged all the officials that will participate in the forthcoming election to ensure they play by the rules and to avoid ant act that can jeopardize the smooth running of the election.

OduduwaNews had earlier reported that the leader and gubernatorial aspirant of African Democratic Congress in 2019 governorship election in Oyo State, Senator Olufemi Lanlehin officially declared his defection to APC on Monday.

In the meantime, Oyo State Chairman of African Democratic Congress, Mr Adeoti Aderoju has disclosed that the party would not miss its members that recently defected to All Progressive Congress.

The erstwhile leader of ADC in Oyo State, Senator Femi Lanlehin was recently reported to have attended a reconciliation meeting called by leaders of APC in Oyo State at Abuja.
Aderoju, at a Press Conference held at Ibadan on Wednesday said the notion in some quarters that ADC Oyo State was rocked with crisis and the exit of Lanlehin and his supporters would be the end of the party was not true.

He described the defectors as insignificant adding that their decision to leave the party was out of greediness. He also made it known that defectors decision were driven by greed and nepotism.

“The erstwhile group led by Senator Femi Lanlehin has ever been on the path of disunity while their greed and nepotism were on the high side to bear for anyone, this is why the recent process of producing a governorship candidate in the last general election was aborted in order to satisfy the desperation of Senator Lanlehin.

“They are the reason for the crack in the folds of not only ADC but also other parties they have ever joined since 2011 till date, they are like refugees who consistently seek asylum in a peaceful State, what really pushes them around, we leave to the public to judge.

“We have gone through thick and thin and we have come out stronger, our platform is open to any decent and sincere politician to accept our handshake to build a virile society,” he hinted.
The party Chairman said ADC was working to change the face of politics in Oyo State by partnering with people with sincere love for the people to deliver good governance.

Adeoti who was with members of the party’s newly inaugurated executive committee reiterated the party’s support for the governor Seyi Makinde and his administration towards achieving success and development in the State.