Former Ekiti Governor, Chief Segun Oni, has alleged the political machination of Governor Kayode Fayemi to put his political career in jeopardy made him to dump the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Oni said the ruling party under the leadership of Fayemi was riddled with impunity, injustice and disrespect for internal democracy.
The former governor said the party was being run by the Governor through his surrogates like private fiefdom, faulting the manner in which parties activities were conducted.
Oni, who addressed journalists through the Director General of his political platform under the acronym ‘Atunse Ekiti Movement’ , Hon Ife Arowosoge, stated that his decision to join PDP was part of the collective resolution taken by loyalists in view of alleged maltreatment being inflicted on them in APC.
He said he found the PDP more captivating at this time having learnt its lesson from the defeat of 2015 general elections, describing the opposition as better organised and more democratic than it was in the past.
“At the meeting held at Ifaki Ekiti and attended by 250 Oni’s core loyalists where they resolved that the supporters were being treated like lepers in Ekiti APC.
“It was our observations at the meeting that our loyalists that Ekiti APC doesn’t believe in democracy from ward ,local government and state levels while the appointments to government positions at the state and federal levels are limited family members, friends and associates of the governor.
“Many of our members were threatened with expulsion and suspension why some handpicked ward executives were instigated to suspend him indefinitely. We sent a petition to the NWC about this irresponsible action,but nothing was done.
“For all these, Atunse Ekiti sees no future for their members in APC because of deep rooted impunity and display of hatred for Segun Oni. This Group thereby advised their leader, Segun Oni , whom they have been following for his integrity, honesty and incorruptibility and records of performance anywhere he serves to lead them out of APC to PDP”, he clarified.
Oni said his defection to PDP was not motivated by inordinate governorship ambition but to join like-minded democrats to build a prosperous state for the benefits of the downtrodden masses.
Defending his return to PDP, Oni noted that he and his supporters were treated like lepers, saying “we have contributed to APC but get nothing in return, so our defection is justifiable and not self-serving”.
But the APC’s State Publicity Secretary, Hon. Ade Ajayi, denied Oni was unfairly treated.
Rather he was accorded the necessary respect and recognition when he joined the party from the PDP in 2014.
“We are not surprised that he is going back to PDP where he came from, but I don’t know the shabby treatment that made him to defect to PDP.
“He was suspended from his political ward because he offended them and instead of him to attend the ward meeting to explain himself, he refused. Don’t forget the constitution of the party stipulated that anybody, no matter how highly placed can be disciplined by the party.
“If he is now accusing the state executives or leaders , I will rather say he is an ungrateful soul because the party gave him the patronage he does not deserve,”he stated. (The Nation)
