Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi
By Our Reporter
The Ekiti state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is currently embroiled in crisis. The crisis which surreptitiously started months back was made public when the party suspended the Special Adviser on Political Matters to the President, Babafemi Ojudu, and 10 other chieftains for an indefinite period over their alleged disobedience to party rules.
According to the APC Publicity Secretary in the state, Ade Ajayi, who announced the development, the 11 party members were suspended for allegedly going against the party’s directive given to members to withdraw all pending cases instituted against the party in court.
The statement read: “The suspension is based on the recommendation of the investigative/disciplinary committee inaugurated by the SEC to investigate the disobedience of certain party members to the National Executive Committee (NEC) of 25th of June 2020, which directed members of the party not to institute any court action and to withdraw existing cases in court.”
It would be recalled that the state party leadership had sometime last week set up a panel to judge the offences levelled against the affected members.
The party’s spokesman made it known that the action of the state chapter had the backings of the national leadership.
The other 10 persons are Oyetunde Ojo, Wole Oluyede, Ayo Ajibade, Femi Adeleye, Akin Akomolafe, Bamigboye Adegoroye, Olusoga Owoeye Dele Afolabi, Toyin Oluwasola and Bunmi Ogunleye.
However, in his reaction to the suspension, Ojodu insisted that the affected persons remained members of the party while accusing Governor Kayode Fayemi of orchestrating the entire move.
Ojudu said: “We are progressives and we will forever be progressives. Those who claimed to have suspended us are the illegal people. We are challenging the position they are holding in court and they have no right to even be in the position let alone suspend members.
“We can’t be like the governor who is an APC member on paper and PDP in heart. He supported Obaseki and wants to destroy our party. We won’t allow that.”
The problem within the party however snowballed into a major crisis with the emergence of a faction of the party.
The faction led by Senator Anthony Adeniyi on Wednesday announced the suspension of the governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, from the APC for alleged anti-party activities.
The faction also described as illegal the Paul Omotoso-led state executives of the party.
In a communique at the end of the meeting made available to journalists in Ado Ekiti, the state capital, on Friday, the Adeniyi-led executives stated, “After painstakingly reviewing the activities of some members of the APC in Ekiti State, we the authentic members of the party in the State and members of SEC per Section 12.8 of the APC Constitution being duly constituted members of the National Convention of the Party, rose from its meeting of the 23rd September 2020 with some far-reaching resolutions.
“That Dr 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 recently concluded governorship election in Edo State, which is contrary to the provisions of Article 21 (A) (ii) of the APC Constitution.
“The Paul Omotosho led faction of the APC Executive in the state is hereby declared illegal and suspended from the party for failure to emerge in accordance with the Constitution of the Party.
“Senator 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.”
The communique was signed by Senator Adeniyi; Senator Babafemi Ojudu; Senator Dayo Adeyeye; Bimbo Daramola, Robinson Ajiboye; Oye Ojo, Ekiti; Adewale Omirin; and Femi Adeleye.
Reacting to the development, Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, said his suspension by a faction of the Ekiti APC over alleged anti-party activities was a joke taken too far. Fayemi reacted through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Yinka Oyebode,
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. 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.
But in a bid to douse the tenion within the party and resolved the crisis, the All Progressives Congress (APC) nullified the suspension of Ekiti Governor Kayode Fayemi, presidential aide Senator Femi Ojudu and others.
Fayemi and the Paul Omotosho-led State Executives Council were suspended for alleged anti-party activities by the State Executives Committee (SEC) on Friday.
The development came barely 24 hours after the Omotosho-led executives suspended Ojudu and 10 others following report of the Patrick Ajigbolamu-led eight-man disciplinary committee set up to probe allegations of anti-party activities levelled against them.
But in a statement on Friday by Deputy National Secretary of the party, Yekini Nabena, APC said the suspensions were a “nullity.”
The party said: “The attention of the National Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been drawn to a purported and widely-reported “suspension” of the Governor of Ekiti State, H.E. Kayode Fayemi as well as an earlier reported “indefinite suspension” of some other party members in the state.
“The actions are a nullity as the Party’s National Secretariat is yet to receive communication from the state chapter on the purported “suspensions”. We strongly advise all members to adhere to our Party constitution.
“Governor Kayode Fayemi remains the leader of the party in Ekiti State.
“In line with the mandate of the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led APC Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary National Convention Planning Committee and the President’s admonition to party members to ensure and support ongoing amicable and rancour-free settlement of internal party disputes, we call on our esteemed party members and leaders in Ekiti State to be duly guided.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Architect Paul Omotosho-chaired APC Ekiti State Working Committee is the authentic, valid and duly recognised Executive as no factions or divisions exist in the State Chapter.”
