Why Ekiti PDP Can’t Trust Fayose
By Sanya Atofarati
It is no longer news that Mr Ayo Fayose has murdered sleep and has been running helter skelter over the Mach 7 PDP Ward Congress held and monitored by INEC, as prescribed by law. His abated plans to arm-twist the party again through his heinous ambition to lay hold on the party’s soul in order to enable him continue his manipulation on the party has frustrated him beyond expectations
Ayo Fayose, a political merchant and shareholder, joined the PDP around 2002 and luckily for him has represented the party twice as democratically elected governor but has betrayed the party severely without any remorse.
In 2007, as the immediate past governor, Fayose championed and coordinated an anti PDP campaign round the towns and villages of Ekiti state against the candidate of his party, Chief Segun Oni. Upon the many atrocities he committed against the party, he was consequently expelled from the party but was later reconsidered and railroaded back to the party by those who felt he should be pardoned as he mischievously claimed he was then younger and ignorant as a 41 year old governor.
Sir/Ma, do I need to remind you of how Fayose ridiculously and unrepentantly betrayed the likes of Femi Bamisile and Dr. TKO Aluko after swearing to an oath with an object others innocently believed to be a Bible but realized too late that Fayose deceptively coated a Dictionary with a Bible’s cover, with false promises of making the duo a Deputy Governor and a Chief of Staff respectively- these were the key players in the waiver granted him by the NWC necessitating his readmittance into the party and his reemergence as the PDP governorship candidate in 2014.
Little did the party leaders know that Fayose was coming back to muscle his perceived political enemies within the PDP. The 2018 governorship is a testimonial of Osoko’s tyrannical rulership in Ekiti PDP which led to the exit of over 12 governorship candidates of different political parties and their followers who were once in the party. I believe these votes would have added up to winning for PDP’s Prof Eleka/Ogunsakin’s election.
While in office as governor, Fayose lorded himself on the party and undermined the SWC. Congresses and party primaries were conducted at Government House and Fayose’s residence in Afao Ekiti.
Fayose left office as 2nd term governor in October 15, 2018 and resumed at EFCC office the next day. He never visited Ekiti again until he came back to publicly campaign against a senatorial candidate of his party, Senator Biodun Olujimi in the February 2019 National Assembly Elections.
How can we trust the same Fayose that has fooled the party entirely and severally, publicly set ablaze the party flag, destroyed his membership card, did not only defect to Labour Party, but also worked and mobilized vigorously against the party in the Segun Oni/Fayemi rerun elections, even while he was still a member of PDP. As he was rounding off his 2nd term in 2018, he unilaterally sold the party secretariat, impoverished both elected and appointed members of the party under his administration.
Negotiating with Fayose is as ugly as negotiating with the devil himself.
Everyone knows I was formerly a Fayose’s staunch and selfless supporter and I was instrumental to Fayose’s reemergence as governor, particularly in my Local Government in 2014 guber poll, I mobilized, organized rallies, coordinated and funded over 12,000 youth volunteers (under the aegis of Ekiti Youths Support For Ayodele Fayose EYOSUFAF) for his reelection and I was a member of the state election campaign committee. The likes of Barr Owoseni Ajayi, Dr. TKO Aluko, Chief Gboyega Aribisogan, Lere Olayinka, Mr Olumide Adesua and others could bear witness to that
Recall that Fayose personally sold his ‘Campaign T-shirts. Unfortunately, the same Fayose now erroneously believe that he has made every standing name in PDP today but has disagreed ever been made by anyone, and not even *Senator Biodun Olujimi* who introduced him to the late Olusola Saraki who raised over N50M for Fayose’s 2003 governorship election.
Now Fayose has/is coming again, this time, with his old tactics. His 60/40 Exco sharing plea is nothing but a ruse.
He has never been sincere and can no longer be trusted. This his new plea is targeted at luring the repositioning leaders into withdrawal of the matter in Court with a pretence of repentance. The same Fayose who frustrated the National Chairmanship ambition of Prof. Tunde Adeniran; afellow Ekiti man, to support Prince Uche Secondus of Rivers state because of his ill-fated presidential ambition is here again seeking our trust? No Way! Not anymore
Let Fayose wait for the Federal High Court to decide the matter before it. Unless and until then, Let Fayose paddle his canoe and not jump the gun.
Chief Sanya Atofarati
21/5/2020