
By Oludamisi Ojo.
Former Governor of Ekiti State, Segun Oni has accused Governor Kayode Fayemi and ex-Governor Ayodele Fayose of standing against his governorship ambition.
Oni had dumped his former party, PDP, and joined All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) to realize his political ambition after being allegedly rigged out in the People’s Democratic Party’s primary.
In a statement in Ado Ekiti, on Sunday, the Director of Media and Publicity, Segun Oni Movement (SOM), Jackson Adebayo, Oni alleged that Fayose had hurriedly called a meeting of his associates to express his fears on his defection, as thousands of the party members had coalesced into SOM.
Oni said there had been fears in the camps of the PDP’s candidate, Bisi Kolawole and that of the All Progressives Congress, Biodun Oyebanji since he announced his defection plan last Friday.
According to the statement”Troubled by the mass movement of PDP members to the Oni camp Fayose ran to the radio station at Ikere-Ekiti in an attempt to stop them, but it was an exercise in futility as his actions further mobilized more people to Oni’s meeting.
“Former governor Fayose convinced Fayemi that some of the aggrieved members of the APC attended the well-attended meeting at Ifaki Ekiti, where Oni unveiled his plans to contest the June 18 governorship election on another platform and that serious mobilization is also going on within the APC for the same purpose.
“In view of this, we are calling on all well-meaning Ekiti sons daughters as well as all stakeholders in the state to warn both Fayemi and Fayose to desist from do-or-die politics but rather face the electorates and showcase their candidate instead of planning evil against the people of the state.”
Fayose however assured members and supporters of the PDP in the State that he remained on the same page with everyone, not minding the side taken before and after the primary election.
The former governor in a statement he personally signed on Sunday said “It’s not anti-party or outside any party member’s right to support any aspirant of his or her choice in a build-up to a primary election and same cannot be used against anyone after the process.”
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According to him, part of the protection of interests of stakeholders was the appointment of Otunba Yinka Akerele, an aspirant from the Repositioning Group within the PDP as Director-General of the campaign, He added that the development is the beginning of the process to ensure that all interests are duly taken care of
The statement read; “What else can I ask for after winning for my candidate? Therefore, my duty is to provide leadership for all and the party at large and ensure that all interests are protected as politics is purely interest-based to which I will never be insensitive.
“Lastly, let me state that we can wish that no one leaves the party, but we are not in a position to force those that feel strongly that their aspiration can only be realized elsewhere to stay in the party. To me, it is a matter of choice and commitment to one’s personal ambition or the interests of the PDP.
He assured party stakeholders that he would be magnanimous, equitable and work with all without bitterness.



