Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti
The Ekiti chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday descended heavily on a former governor of the state, Mr Ayodele Fayose and told him not to dabble in the party’s affairs.
The party accused Fayose of practically locking down the state legislature while he was the governor.
It said that members of the state’s house of assembly could not convene between 2016 and 2018 without the permission of Fayose.
Consequently, the APC asked Fayose not to meddle in its internal affairs, describing him as a politician that would do or say anything just to attract attention.
The party made the disclosure yesterday in a statement issued by its Publicity Secretary in Ekiti State, Mr. Sam Oluwalana in response to Fayose’s comments on the rift that plagued the ruling party.
Following internal crises that engulfed the APC over its primary election in Edo State and the suspension of Mr. Adams Oshiomhole as its National Chairman, Fayose had claimed that the crisis rocking the APC was as a result of God’s anger.
He had also said that the crisis being faced by APC “is a show of God’s anger for its role and that of its govt in impoverishing Nigerians, promoting election rigging and looking the other way while Nigerians are being killed in their thousands.”
Ekiti APC, however, faulted Fayose’s claim, noting that a political leader of Fayose’s ilk would shout Hosanna today and crucify him tomorrow in as much as his daily bread is guaranteed.
Citing a period the former governor was facing trying times after he completed his second term, the chapter added that the same Fayose “has been hobnobbing with leaders of the party across the country seeking for favours.”
The party said that Fayose, during his tenure, was the executive, the legislature and the judiciary, as he crippled the other arms from performing their functions.
It added that the mace of the assembly, which is the authority of the legislature, was kept at the government house, while the law makers would have to seek permission from Fayose before convening any sitting.
The chapter said the former governor “is now shouting that there is no democracy in APC. It was during his regime that the minority members of the assembly impeached a speaker while vocal members were railroaded into indefinite suspension until they succumbed to his whims.
“The people of the state will not quickly forget how Fayose administration equally crippled the functions of the judiciary, while his attorney general was always privy to any judgement to be delivered by judges, he even led some of his thugs to storm a court in session and physically beat up a presiding judge.
“The people of the state are praying that they will never experience the type of Fayose’s democracy in which workers were owed salaries, pensioners were dying of hunger, and citizens turned to beggars.
“The spate of killings in the state became aggravated with people unable to sleep with two eyes closed. He succeeded in disintegrating the PDP, compelling the national leadership to impose foreigners to administer the party as caretakers.
“Fayose is wandering across the country like someone that has been cursed. He thinks he can cause confusion in the APC as he has done to his party, unknown to him that he is dealing with more matured politicians.
“He should seek divine intervention to wash the curse placed on him by senior citizens of the state he made to suffer when he was governor. APC also advised Fayose to leave the party alone and stop his divisive tendencies.
“Can democracy be said to be thriving under this one -man show? Fayose has no moral right to criticize democratic practice in this country as he who demands equity must come with a clean hand.”
The chapter stated further that Fayose’s undemocratic moves were the major problems of the PDP.
It, therefore, urged Fayose to stop his dubious escapades of wining and dining with leaders of the APC across the federation while also turning back to make unfounded allegations against the party.
