By DAPO FALADE
More troubles loom in the Ekiti State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a faction, of the party, on Friday, announced the suspension of the state governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, from the party for alleged anti-party activities.
The faction, consisting of former elected members of the party, announced the suspension of the governor in a statement, dated 23 September, 2020, and made available to PeesReporters, on Friday.
The faction claimed to be the authentic members of Ekiti APC and members of the State Executive Committee (SEC) of the party, in line with Section 13.8 of the APC Constitution and thus duly constituted members of the National Convention of the party.
Signatories to the statement announcing the suspension of the governor included Senator Tony Adeniyi, Ekiti South (2011-2015); Senator Babafemi Ojudu, Ekiti Central (2011-2015) Senator Dayo Adeyeye, Ekiti South (2019-) and former Minister of Works.
Others are Congressman Bimbo Daramola, Ekiti North Federal Constituency (2011 – 2015); Hon Robinson Ajiboye, Ekiti North Federal Constituency (2011 – 2015); Hon Oye Ojo, Ekiti North Federal Constituency ( 2011- 2015); Hon (Dr.) Adewale Omirin – Speaker Ekiti State House of Assembly (2011 – 2015) and Hon Femi Adeleye, member, Ekiti State House of Assembly (2007 – 20011).
Recalled that the Ekiti APC, on Thursday, announced the indefinite suspension of Senator Femi Ojudu, Honourable Oyetunde Ojo, the son-in-law of Senator Bola Tinubu and nine others.
Other Ekiti APC members affected by the suspension order included Honourable Femi Adeleye, Chief Akin Akomolafe (AKOG), Akogun Bunmi Ogunleye, Omooba Bamigboye Adegoroye, Dr Woke Oluyede, Mr Olusoga Owoeye, Mr Dele Afolabi and Barrister Toyin Oluwasola.
The indefinite suspension was contained in a letter dated 23September, 2020, titled “Indefinite Suspension Of Some Members of Ekiti State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and signed by the state publicity secretary, Honourable Ade Ajayi.
As stated in the letter, the APC members were suspended as recommended by an Investigative/Disciplinary Committee which found them guilty of alleged disobedience to the directive of the APC national leadership as it relates to legal actions.
However, the Authentic Ekiti APC SEC members said they arrived at their decision to suspend Governor Fayemi
“after painstakingly reviewing the activities of some members of the APC in Ekiti State.”
Rising from their meeting, which held on 23 September, 2020, they resolved as follows: continued illegalities allegedly being conducted Fayemi “who, as governor, is an ordinary member of the SEC and ought to have called meetings of this duly constituted body as a critical party organ, [but] has failed to do so since his assumption of office in 2018;
“That the body currently masquerading as the elected members of the SEC or as the State Working Committee or appendages is unknown to us (as due statutory members of SEC) since no ward congress has taken place in Ekiti State APC since inception. All SEC members listed in Section 12.8 of our constitution, (i) to (xxvii) as such are open positions since only duly officiated Ward congresses with INEC observation can fill these positions.
“As such, only the duly elected members of the APC in the state serving as governor, deputy governor, speaker and deputy speaker as well as principal officers of the House and members of the National Convention which includes all present and past National Assembly members today constitute the State SEC of our great party.
“To this end, in the absence of a properly organised body and meeting, and the continued insistence of the governor to neglect his duty to initiate ward congresses or call a meeting of the SEC to deliberate upon pertinent issues, we, as loyal members of our party and members of the SEC, met to rescue our party from continued denigration and abuse.”
The factional Ekiti APC SEC members further resolved: “That Dr. Kayode Fayemi, the Executive Governor of Ekiti State is hereby suspended from the party in view of his numerous anti-party activities, especially his role in the recent concluded governorship election in Edo State which is contrary to the provisions of Article 21 (A) (ii) of the APC Constitution.
“For five days, prior to the Edo election, Governor Fayemi hosted PDP bigwig, Mr Femi Fani- Kayode, in the Government House in Ado Ekiti in the run up to the Edo elections. It was here they perfected the coup against our party in Edo State.
“This is same Fani-Kayode who daily abuses President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, the APC as a party as well a vital section of our country. We have evidence of that meeting.
“Fani-Kayode specifically said he has gone on his tour as part of an effort between him and Fayemi to build a cross-party alliance and few hours after leaving Ekiti he fired a shot at Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
“We also have evidence of celebration by his aides in Ekiti Government House and on social media.
“We also recall his role in the gubernatorial election in Oyo State where he supported the PDP candidate to defeat the APC candidate. A second tranche of money he sent to Governor Seyi Makinde in the election was intercepted by soldiers.
“The courier, Mr Ayo Adegbite, his Chief Protocol Officer, was arrested and he immediately disowned and announced his sack. Mr Adegbite remains his aide till date.
“We also recall the support he provided a PDP candidate who challenged an APC senator, Prince Dayo Adeyeye in the Tribunal. He moved the judges to Kaduna to deliver judgement when he knew what he planned against his party was unpopular in Ekiti.
“We have more to tell on this betrayal and traitorous act of his. APC Senator is out of the Senate today and PDP is in. The relationship between Fayemi and Senator Olujimi of PDP, the beneficiary of his treachery, is known to all in Ekiti State.
“We also recall his resort to court when majority of party members nominated late the Senator Abiola Ajimobi for deputy national chairman of the party. He fought Ajimobi till death.
“His fraternisation with the PDP in continuation of his bid for Vice Presidential candidate under the party (if his bid for presidential candidate in APC fails) was masked by commissioning of projects in Rivers State, a smokescreen for his consultation to woo the support of Governor Nyesom Wike, last year.
“That the Paul Omotosho-led faction of APC executive in the state is hereby declared illegal and suspended from the party for failure to emerge in accordance to the constitution of the party.
“That Paul Omotoso and his co-travellers’s refusal to respect court proceedings in which they are not only joined but appeared in court through the proceedings but defiantly disrespected the court, contrary to the hallowed decision of the Supreme Court in OJUKWU vs GOVERNOR OF LAGOS STATE
“That the Paul Omotosho faction of the executive should desist from parading themselves as the executive members of the party in the state and that the Nigerian Police, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the general public should take note.
“That Senator Tony Adeniyi, as a statutory member of the SEC going by our party’s constitution, was elected by all members attending as the acting chairman of the SEC in the absence of direction or directive from the national body. He is as such the only one thus capable to call the SEC meeting as duly required by the constitution from henceforth.
“The committee sitting also agreed to begin bridge building across our members, statewide and nationally, and set up a special intervention committee, APC Majeobaje Working Group, to be led by Prince Bamgboye Adegoroye and six other individuals from across our great state.
“That working group will henceforth do the hard work of rebuilding APC in Ekiti State and prevent the oncoming annihilation of our party if we take no action at the upcoming polls.
“We note that the APC is a party of progressives and must do things only in line with the law. The APC cannot act against its constitution or the law of the land, hence this intervention became urgently necessary and pertinent before marauders destroy the party permanently.
“It must be emphasized that with the increasingly discerning capacity and sophistication of our people we cannot afford to take them for granted. We must be able to sustain the relevance of our party in Ekiti State, hold our members and win new members.
“We are obligated to ensure that the light of our electoral prospect and fortune is not dimmed or extinguished.”
However, the APC State Publicity Secretary, Ade Ajayi and the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Party Affairs, Sam Oluwalana, said the party would react in due course.
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