By Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti
Former Minister of Works and governorship aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Dayo Adeyeye, has formally joined the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Adeyeye was a minister under President Goodluck Jonathan and recently held the position of the PDP National Publicity Secretary under the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee.
Adeyeye defected from the defunct Action Congress (AC) to the PDP November, 2006 after losing the primary to Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who was the party’s candidate for the April 14, 2007 governorship election in
Ekiti State.
He recently lost another governorship primary to Fayose’s deputy, Prof Kolapo Olusola , who polled 1119 to defeat the ex-minister , who
garnered 771 in the keenly contested election.
Speaking with journalists in Ado Ekiti on Tuesday, Adeyeye said he took the action on the premise that he could no longer brook Fayose’s despotic tendencies in PDP, saying leaving the party would afford him the opportunity to get rid of pervasive poverty and corruption as typified by the present government.
The former Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, a Pan Yoruba socio-political group, added that he took the bold action after a meeting with the leaders of Prince Adedayo Adeyeye Movement (PAAM) across the 16 local governments.
He said he had decided to join Fayemi to rescue Ekiti from the pangs of misrule under Fayose and nothing would stop him from actualising the dream.
“My supporters, associates, PAAM and I have finally resolved to join APC with effect from today 29th May in the celebration of democracy day that some of us fought gallantly to achieve from the militaryâ€,
Adeyeye said..
He stated further: “Expectedly patriotic leaders of the party appealed to me to reconsider my decision in the light of my previous services and loyalty to the party. But the issue was never about me as a person.
“It was about the interest of the very many people who associate with me and more importantly the collective interest and future of Ekiti people. For me, politics has always been an opportunity to serve and
make contribution towards the development of my community and the nation.
“Therefore where I am compelled to make a choice between loyalty to a political party and loyalty to my community, l will readily chose my community or state. Political parties come and go but the community remains. I cannot change my state or hometown but I can always change my party if I feel that it can no longer serve as a vehicle for our collective good as a people.
As a thorough bred Ekiti person with a deep love of this land and the people It is incumbent on me to resist and stop the evil agenda of one man to put our people in perpetual enslavement. I have said no to Fayose’s continuity of dictatorship, impunity, imposition, poverty, unprecedented looting of our common patrimony and deliberate
debasement of the self esteem of our people.
“For my friends, admirers, patrons and well wishers I want to reiterate that Fayose is an impossible person to deal with. A pompous
martinet with a huge ego ,he is deliberately divisive and deceitful .
He does not believe in reconciliation and no effort at reconciliation will work with him.
“Therefore after deep introspection and wide consultation with various stakeholders in this state, my supporters and I have decided to leave Egypt which the Fayose administration represents and join hands with patriotic Ekiti people to board the train of the APC for the onward journey to our promised land .
“We are joining forces with eminent Ekiti sons and daughters to free our land from the vulture and predator feeding fat on our common
wealth. We want to set our land free and never again shall we entrust our land unto the hands of unknown persons with unverifiable pedigree
to ride roughshod on our people.
“We have assurances of Dr. Fayemi the APC candidate that he has come to right the wrong of the past and not on a vengeance mission as being touted by Fayose and his cohorts. He is now better equipped, well focused and better prepared to move Ekiti forward.
“Let’s join hands with him in the collective mission to rescue our dear state from the greedy predator in this hour of our greatest need.
This is a call to duty for all patriotic Ekiti sons and daughtersâ€, he concluded.
