Ado-Ekiti stand still as Prince Adeyeye, Ex-Afenifere Scribe declares governorship ambition

By Lere Olayinka

Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital was at a stand-still today as former National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, the Pan Yoruba Socio-cultural organisation, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, declared his intention to contest the 2014 governorship election in Ekiti Statr under the platform of the Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP), with a vow to save the State from governance by deceit and harness all available human and natural resources in the State to make the State self-sustenance.

Adeyeye, who was welcomed by a mammoth crowd of supporters, who thronged the State Secretariat of the PDP, arrived at the secretariat at about 1pm in a convoy of over 100 vehicles.

He had earlier visited the Senatorial District Office of the party in Ikere-Ekiti where he was received by the Senatorial Chairman, Alhaji Ganiyu Bankole and other party faithful.

“We have been to Ikere where we were very well received by the Senatorial Chairman, Alhaji Gani Bankole. In Ikere office, they saw what they have never seen before in terms of crowd.

“It can therefore be seen that this platform is the platform that is uniting the PDP in Ekiti today and it is this platform that will finally unite PDP and take the party back to power,” Adeyeye said.

Speaking after submitting his Letter of Intent, Adeyeye said; “From today, PDP is matching forward to the government house and nothing will stop us.”

He said his mission was to capture power in Ekiti State through the support of the electorate and “return power to the people of the State, who has been relegated to nothing by the present Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) government in the State.”

His words; “We will institute the kind of government that will place the people first as the owner of the government itself.

“We will put an end to capital flight in Ekiti State by not putting the resources of the State in the hands of a few foreigners, whose only affiliation to the State is their past relationships with the governor.

“This is because we have been part of the politics of this State for so many years and Ekiti people can attest to what we are capable of doing by what we did under the three that I served as the Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).

“Ours is a mission to save Ekiti people from governance by deceit and offer purposeful and people oriented governance, using our First Eleven Priorities.

“I therefore want us to join hands together to rescue this State from the hands of these clueless people, who are only interested in looting our collective wealth.”

Speaking on the May 31, 2013 Supreme Court judgment on the case filed by former governor of the State, Chief Segun Oni against the October 15, 2010 that removed him from office, Adeyeye said; “We are hopeful that we are going to win the case at the Supreme Court. Therefore, our expectation is to fly the PDP flag in the election that may come up this year.”

Present at the event to express their support for Prince Adeyeye were; Justice E. A. Ojuolape (rtd), former House of Representatives member, Hon. Duro Faseyi, one of the two PDP members in the State House of Assembly, Hon. Dele Ajibola, Senatorial aspirant for Ekiti Central, Ambassador Gbenga Olofin, former speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Sola Ajigbolamu, former leader of the House, former Deputy Speaker, Hon. Taiwo Olatubosun Hon. Lai Oke, Hon. Sunday Owolabi, former Secretary to the State Government, Chief Afolabi Ojuawo, former House of Reps member, Hon Segun Ojo, former National Financial Secretary of the PDP and ex-Ambassador to Mozambique, Ambassador Toye Olofintuyi, Chief Femi Bamiteko, Chief Olaiya Faturoti, former Zonal Secretary of the party, Chief Ropo Adesanya, Otunba Akin Oluwadare, Dr Gboyega Isijola, and Chief Femi Balogun.

Others were PDP Director of Youths Mobilisation, Hon Olowomeye, National Coordinator of PDP Youth Vanguard, Hon Bekes Apere, National Secretary, Ibrahim Bala, Chairman, Afenifere Europe, Abagun Kole Omololu among many others.

Speaking at the event, PDP State Chairman, Chief Makanjuola Ogundipe called for greater unity among the party members.

He said; “what I have to say about Adeyeye is that whether we like it or not, God's will will be done.”

He described Adeyeye as a unifying factor in the party and promised a level playground for all aspirants in the party, saying; “We have not adopted any aspirant and we are not going to do that.

“Our concern is how to return to power and that can only be done if we are fair in the process through which our candidate will emerge.

“As for me, I want to be a chairman of governor not that of a candidate, and therefore, we will be fair to all.”

Chief Ogundipe, who later led other party exco members, including the Secretary, Mr Tope Aluko to declare open the Prince Adedayo Adeyeye Movement (PAAM) campaign office described Adeyeye as an asset to the party.