In a resolute response to Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s endorsement by former Governor Ayodele Fayose, the Ekiti State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by Architect Sadiq Obanoyen, has made it abundantly clear that they have no intention of dignifying such an endorsement.
As Shakespeare aptly stated, it is “a tale told…. full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”
However, in consideration of the unsuspecting public and the good people of Ekiti State who have been seeking clarity, it is necessary for us to address this matter.
The endorsement of Governor Oyebanji, whose first year in office has been marked by undeniable failure despite access to abundant resources to N9 billion monthly unlike in the days of Asiwaju Oni that it was N3.5 billion monthly, is deeply concerning.
It is disheartening to observe that Governor Oyebanji accrues almost a tenth of these funds as allowances, security votes, and imprest, implying that he personally receives a quarter, if not a third, of the total salaries earned by hardworking Ekiti workers.
Meanwhile, a significant number of Ekiti people, including members of the APC, continue to endure hardships and poverty, particularly Ekiti workers.
It is preposterous to suggest that any member of the PDP would endorse the incumbent governor. To do so would imply that we desire the PDP to lose not only the upcoming Ekiti 2026 governorship election but also the subsequent 9 National Assembly and 26 State House of Assembly elections. It has become a prevailing trend in the State that once a Party loses the governorship election, all subsequent elections are also lost.
Furthermore, such an endorsement would deprive the Party of more than 20 Commissionership positions, as well as numerous Special Advisers, Senior Special Assistants, and Special Assistants roles at the state level.
It would also hinder the Party’s ability to secure 16 Chairmanship, 16 Vice Chairmanship, and 16 Secretaryship positions at the Local Government Councils, along with 19 Local Council Development Chairmanship, 16 Vice Chairmanship, and 16 Secretaryship positions at the Local Council Development Areas. Additionally, it will deny the Party 177 Councilorship positions and over 1,000 Supervisors and Advisers roles at the Local Government and Local Council Develoment levels. The ramifications of such an endorsement are immense.No rational PDP member would join Fayose in his selfish voyage, except for the members of his PDAPC party in Ekiti State. For the sake of the Ekiti people who long for the return of the PDP to power in Ekiti, such an endorsement would be a great disservice.
It is disappointing, but not surprising, to witness Fayose, who has been suspended by Ekiti PDP for his involvement with the APC and anti-party activities, playing a pawn in the APC’s chess game. A Party led by Adebayo and Fayemi, who have reduced Fayose to a figure of amusement with his fractured postulations as he gradually descends into irrelevance. The truth of the matter is that the Ekiti APC knows how to manipulate Fayose to their advantage, but they do not eagerly welcome him into their Party.
Instead, they offer appointments to Fayose’s allies, allowing Fayose to distribute their salaries among the select few who remain loyal to him, with each receiving a meager sum of #15,000. It is regrettable that after auctioning the Party’s chances in the 2022 governorship election, Fayose finds satisfaction in his actions. However, Ekiti State PDP has refused not to allow him to transform the Party into a “Harmonised Investment Venture” (HIV) for commercial politics through his Association Improved Deceit System (AIDS) and this informed the decision of the Party to suspend some weeks ago.
Rest assured, the Ekiti State Peoples Democratic Party remains undeterred by the tandem endorsement of Adebayo, Fayemi, and Fayose. Their influence pales in comparison to the power of the Ekiti people’s votes, a subject on which they themselves could write a doctoral thesis, if not the Almighty Himself. Unfortunately, this is the flawed foundation upon which Governor Oyebanji bases his excessive ambition for a second term, rather than focusing on the development of the State and the well-being of the Ekiti people.
The Ekiti PDP assures the people of the State that the mistakes made by the Party in 2022 will never be repeated. Our Party leaders are united, and the PDP is gradually gaining momentum. By 2026, the Party will present a candidate with a well-known and widely accepted background. We have come to realise that had we listened to the views and demands of the people regarding the Party’s candidate in the previous gubernatorial election, the PDP would already be in power in Ekiti State.
Fayose’s game plan is well known, albeit he continues to cling to a group of gullible followers. He once declared that PDP is “Yamutu” in an audio message, but we no longer concern ourselves with his promiscuous rage since he is no longer a member of our Party. Moreover, he does not possess the power of God to pronounce the demise of the PDP in Ekiti State. Perhaps he should be reminded that the PDP has produced prominent national figures who are not only a source of pride for the Party and the State, but also for Nigeria as a whole.
Figures such as the late Prof. Babalola Borisade and late Chief S.K. Babalola can not be forgotten even in their death, Prof. Tunde Adeniran, Chief C.K. Awoyelu, and other prominent leaders in Ekiti State who are regarded as high-profile personalities within Nigeria. The PDP in Ekiti State will continue to nurture and produce eminent figures. Prior to Fayose joining the PDP and entering politics in 2002, the PDP already existed in Ekiti State, with a number of House of Assembly members, Local Government Chairmen, Councilors, and a Senator. Even in 1999, when the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s name held significant sway for the AD. With or without Fayose, the PDP has continued to flourish and succeed. The Party is not beholden to his influence.
We appeal to the people of Ekiti not to be troubled by Fayose’s duplicitous character. His association with the APC can be likened to a fly becoming trapped in a pot of honey as it slowly drains away. In the PDP’s case, he resembles a tortoise foolishly storing all the world’s wisdom in a gourd, attempting in vain to hang it on a tree. Subsequently, a little boy demonstrates how to climb the tree, leaving the tortoise astonished at the existence of wisdom beyond his limited understanding. Fayose’s journey with the APC is futile, but we can only wish him good luck.
Aare Amerijoye DOT.B.
Ekiti State Peoples Democratic Party CTC Publicity Secretary.
