A Non-Governmental Organisation in Ekiti State, the Ekiti Justice Group (EJG) has described the desire of the impeached former governor of the State, Ayodele Fayose to rule the State again as a very tall dream that can only be achieved in the dream-world.
The group, which declared that “Fayose will never be Ekiti State governor again,” said any party that presents the former governor as its governorship candidate will be inviting total resentment from Ekiti people, especially the elites.
Rising from its meeting held in Ado-Ekiti on Wednesday, the group, in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Dr. Tunji Oluwasanmi, said, it was compelled to respond to Fayose’s comment that he was the only person that can defeat the incumbent Governor, Kayode Fayemi in the June 21 election because “fielding Fayose by the PDP will mean another four years of sufferings for Ekiti people under Fayemi’s government.”
The group said Ekiti people, especially the traditional rulers would rather mobilise support for Fayemi instead of a return to Fayose’s era when Obas were hounded in car booths and senior citizens of the State were treated with contempt.
“While we concede that it is the rights of political parties to pick any candidate of its choice, we wish to remind the PDP that the killing of five students of the College of Education, Ikere-Ekiti on March 15, 2004, murder of Tunde Omojola on May 28, 2005, detention of the late Attah of Aiyede-Ekiti, Oba Joseph Adeleye Orishagbemi, murder of Dr. Ayodeji Daramola on August 14, 2006, and most importantly, the looting of Ekiti State treasury via the phony poultry project on which Fayose is still being tried are still fresh in the memories of Ekiti people.
“It was on the basis of these negative past records, especially the war he waged on the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adejugbe that Fayose’s was openly campaign against during the 2011 senatorial election by Ado-Ekiti high chiefs and elites in the town. Surely, the people will do the same if he is presented as candidate of any political party,” EJG said.
While also describing as false, claim by Fayose that he can win elections in Ekiti, the group asked; “Why didn’t Fayose win his senatorial election when he contested under Labour Party? Why was he unable to deliver at least, his State House of Assembly to the Labour Party? Why couldn’t he win the 2010 Moba House of Assembly by-election election for the LP?
“The reality here is that, if PDP likes, let the party present Fayose as its candidate. That will definitely be handing another four years to Fayemi and we doubt if Ekiti people that are groaning under the present government will forgive the party.”
