Senator Babafemi Ojudu and Governor Kayode Fayemi

.APC Headquarters steps in

By Ademola Adegbamigbe

What could be the matter between these two Ekiti sons, Governor Kayode Fayemi and Senator Babafemi Ojudu, Special Adviser on Political Matters at the Presidency? The two were pro-democracy musketeers who gave the military a run for the cost of their guns and jackboots. While Fayemi was one of the people in London running Radio Kudirat that was an alternative voice to the propaganda churned out by General Sani Abacha’s spin doctors, Ojudu, a journalist and media manager, was also at the barricades, fighting to enthrone democracy. In fact, Abacha put him in the slammer for months!

What, therefore, could make these kindred spirits suddenly become like two grown up cocks thrown into a pit? Power and the use of it, so analysts submitted.

The first to start the duel was the Fayemi faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti which, on Thursday 24 September, suspended Ojudu and 10 others indefinitely for allegedly flouting directive of the party’s national executive.

Others according to a statement by Mr Ade Ajayi, the party’s State Publicity Secretary, are Ayo Ajibade, Oyetunde Ojo, Femi Adeleye, Chief Akin Akomolafe and Bunmi Ogunleye, Bamigboye Adegoroye, Dr Wole Oluyede, Mr Olusoga Owoeye, Mr Dele Afolabi and Toyin Oluwasola.

Ajayi said that the suspension followed the recommendation of the Disciplinary Committee inaugurated by the party’s State Executive Council “to investigate the alleged disobedience of certain party members to the National Executive Committee (NEC) on June 25.” According to APC scribe, INEC had directed members of the party not to institute any court action and to withdraw existing cases in court, but that the affected members disobeyed.

The Ojudu faction did not allow that missile to land before intercepting it mid-air. It issued a statement, entitled: ‘Before Our Impending Expulsion from APC’, warning that the party would disintegrate in Ekiti, if they were sacked. “We are calling our national leadership to stop Dr Kayode Fayemi from killing our party in Ekiti. Things are bad enough now for the party in the state. Allowing him to carry out our expulsion will only spell doom for our beloved APC,” Mr Bamgboye Adegoroye who issued a statement on behlf of Ojudu and others said.

They said Fayemi wanted to victimize them because they spoke truth to power. In other words, they condemned what they called the Governor’s penchant for poor governance and government of exclusion.

“We however, insist we shall under no circumstance leave the party to join another. We were members of the party from foundation and also members of defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), a legacy party that joined with others to form APC.”

The matter became a see saw of sorts when the Ojudu faction, today, Friday 25 September, suspended the Governor himself! That is, a faction that goes by the name, The authentic State Executive Committee of Ekiti APC, led by Senator Tony Adeniyi. The group alleged that Fayemi was guilty of “anti-party activities, hobnobbing with PDP and failing the party in organising ward elections.” and declared the faction loyal to Fayemi as illegal.

Adeniyi said the “authenticity” of his faction was based on the premise that he was made Acting Chairman of the Ekiti APC because of the “absence of direction or directive from the National Body” and that he was “the only one thus capable to call the SEC (State Executive Council) meeting as duly required by the constitution from henceforth.” Thus, Adeniyi insisted that Section 12.8 of APC Constitution empowered him to suspend the Governor.

However, Fayemi dismissed his “suspension” derisively with a wave of the hand. In a reaction, entitled “Governor Fayemi’s  Purported Suspension: A Joke Taken Too Far”, his Chief Press Secretary, Yinka Oyebode, said the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a party is governed by laws, adding that members of the group cannot hide under their recent suspension to announce a dubious suspension they lack the locus to handle.

He added: “While one would have dismissed  their claims as another failed attempt to polarise the party in the state, it is also important to put it on record that the action of the group smacks of criminal impersonation as none of those who signed the purported suspension letter were executive members of the party at ward, Local government or state level.

The action is but a joke taken too far as they never had such power they want to arrogate to themselves while they were members of the party,  much less now that they have been suspended. Governor Fayemi however remains unperturbed by this  antics of suspended members.

Well meaning members of the public as well as members of APC are urged to disregard the news of the purported suspension as it only exists in the imagination of members of the group. Dr Kayode Fayemi remains the indisputable leader of the APC in Ekiti State.”

Adeniyi’s Statement:

After painstakingly reviewing the activities of some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State, we the authentic members of the Party in the State and Members of State Executive Committee per Section 12.8 of APC Constitution being duly constituted members of the National Convention of the Party, rose from its meeting of the 23rd September, 2020 and resolved as follows:

1. We note the continued illegalities in the name of the party, being conducted by Dr. Kayode 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, has failed to do so since his assumption of office in 2018.

2.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.

3.As such, only the duly elected members of the APC in the state serving as Governor, Deputy Governor, Speaker & 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.

4.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:

1.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 elections Gov Fayemi hosted PDP big wig 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 Tinubu.

1 (a) We also have evidence of celebration by his aides in Ekiti government house and on social media.

1(b) 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 Gov 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.

1(c) 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 Senator Abiola Ajimobi for Deputy National Chairman of the party. He fought Ajimobi till death.

1(d) 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 .

2. 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.

3.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

4.That 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 and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the general public should take note.

5.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 State Executive Committee 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.

6.The committee seating 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 All Progressives Congress 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.

Signed:

For Ekiti State APC State Executive Committee

1. Senator Tony Adeniyi

– Senator , Ekiti South Senatorial District ( 2011 – 2015 )

2. Senator Babafemi Ojudu

– Senator , Ekiti Central Senatorial District ( 2011 – 2015 )

3. Senator Dayo Adeyeye, Senator , Ekiti South Senatorial District ( 2019- ) Former Minister of Works.

4. Congressman Bimbo Daramola, Ekiti North Federal Constituency ( 2011 – 2015 )

5. Hon Robinson Ajiboye , Ekiti North Federal Constituency ( 2011 – 2015

6. Hon Oye Ojo, Ekiti North Federal Constituency ( 2011 – 2015 )

7. Hon ( Dr.) Adewale Omirin – Hon Speaker Ekiti State House of Assembly ( 2011 – 2015 )
8. Hon Femi Adeleye , Member , Ekiti State House of Assembly , ( 2007 – 20011 )

Given the above, analysts said that it is high time the APC high command stepped in for the men to sheathe their swords. The reason is that an intra party crisis like this could make the opposition party, standing by with the leer of a professional snatcher, to marry Ekiti electorate on the rebound.

APC headquarters has now issued a statement, nullifying the suspension and counter suspension.

Read more on that here

-Ademola Adegbamigbe, Editor of TheNEWS, has been reporting political, business, life and entertainment stories for the past 26 years