Crisis in Ekiti APC deepens as faction suspends Governor Fayemi
By Joy Okosieme
The disquiet in the All Progressives Congress( APC) family in Ekiti deepened on Friday with a faction of the party suspending the Governor of the state, Kayode Fayemi.
The faction led by Senator Tony Adeniyi and which includes Senator Babafemi Youth, Political Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari, and Mr. Dayo Adeyeye, a former governorship candidate of the party in the state, suspended Governor Fayemi for what they alleged were anti-party activities.
The suspension of the Governor is coming on the heels of the suspension of Senator Ojudu and other members of the party by the Paul Omotosho faction of the party for failing to withdraw cases instituted by them against the party as ordered by the national leadership of the party.
In what is seen as a retaliatory move, the Senator Adeniyi and his colleagues, who rejected their suspension on the ground that the Omotosho faction, which purportedly suspended them had no legitimacy since no ward congress had held for two years in the state, sTheended Governor Fayemi on the premise that he was working against the interests of the APC. Cataloguing what they described as the Governor’s sins, a statement issued by the faction announcing the suspension, said:
“To this end, in the absence of a properly organized 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 State Executive Committee met to rescue our party from continued denigration and abuse, and resolved thus:
“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.”
They accused Governor Fayemi of fraternizing and conniving with top Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) leaders to secure victory for the PDP in the September 19 Governorship election in Edo State where Governor Godwin Obaseki defeated APC candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu. They said they were ready to back up their claim with recorded evidence of Governor Fayemi’s celebration of Obaseki’s victory with his aides at the Ekiti Government House.
The statement added that Governor Fayemi’s romance with the PDP as part of His plan to become its Vice Presidential candidate if His bid to emerge APC presidential candidate for 2023 failed, had been evident since last year when visited Rivers State Governor Nyesome Wike under the guise of commissioning projects in the state.
