The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State is currently enmeshed in a crisis as loyalists of the party’s National Leader, Bola Tinubu and those of Governor Kayode Fayemi are at loggerheads over the conduct of the APC ward congresses held in the state on Saturday. The fresh crisis followed the reported violence that erupted during the ward congresses organised last Saturday, across the 177 wards in the state to elect delegates ahead of the national convention of the party, during which a party member, identified as Jide was killed in Ward 10 during a dispute between rival groups over the conduct of the congresses. Loyalists of Gov. Fayemi and those of Tinubu, are at daggers drawn over who controls the soul of the party, ahead of the 2023 presidential election.
Tinubu’s loyalists have raised the alarm that the ward congresses were skewed and disrupted to favour the camp of Gov. Fayemi, and are therefore calling for the cancellation of the congresses. Leading the call for the cancellation of the congresses is a former Minister of State for Works, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, who worked for the victory of the governor in the 2018 governorship election, after defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Adeyeye ditched his former ally and then governor of the state, Ayodele Fayose, to ensure the PDP and its candidate, Prof. Sola Eleka, lost the election. He is currently the Chairman of the SouthWest Agenda for Tinubu 2023 presidential ambition (SWAGA). Addressing journalists on Sunday in Ado-Ekiti, Adeyeye called on the National Chairman of the APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee(CECPC), Governor Mai Mala Buni, to nullify the results of the ward congresses. The APC leader accused the congress committee headed by Alhaji Yusuf Galambi of perverting the people’s will by allegedly hobnobbing with loyalists of the governor, whom he alleged concocted delegates list without conducting elections across the 177 wards.
Adeyeye said, “The ward congress purportedly took place in Ekiti State, but the manner of its conduct was nothing near all democratic norms as it was warped, disorderly, perverse and can only pass for a charade. “As witnessed yesterday (Saturday), the presence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials was not felt at the congresses. In most of the centres, members of the Tokan-Tokan (Fayemi’s loyalists) group took over the INEC’s job. “The presence of the law – agents was also very insignificant. We witnessed a situation where people waited agitatedly from dusk to almost dawn, in a decoy deployed to frustrate voters. “In places like Ijero, Ado Ekiti and Oye local councils, extreme violence was visited on people, leading to one death in Ado Ekiti Ward 10. Several people were also wounded and property destroyed. We have video clips of some of these heinous incidents. “We are hereby telling the CECPC, our party members nationwide and indeed, all Nigerians, that there was no congress in Ekiti State yesterday. What happened was a charade that cannot pass the test of democracy and it is totally unacceptable.”
Also, the former minister said the congress held in Ward 08 of Ado Ekiti was allegedly conducted on Sunday, with results concocted owing to violence that dogged the exercise the previous day, saying this further buttressed how reckless the congress committee was. He added that “APC, to us, is one big family. In view of this, internal conflicts should not be allowed to fester; if people are really desirous of our victory in coming polls. I think it is time we bury our arrogance and ego, for the party to thrive.” Adeyeye queried Galambi for saying that the congress was peaceful, adding that “how can someone say an election where somebody was killed and property destroyed was a peaceful election. “We have stretched the hands of fellowship to the governor and his loyalists, which they rebuffed. It is like the Tokan Tokan people are becoming dictatorial and never want peace in APC. I believe everybody should be on board by applying the spirit of give and take for us to win the 2022 governorship election. “How can we win when we are not together? Even when we were together, it was tough for us to win. The victory of APC in 2018 was very narrow. The strength of any politician is the masses. We are going to begin mobilisation now across the state to show the SWAGA strength.” However, the APC spokesman in Ekiti State, Ade Ajayi, denied the allegations that the ward congresses were marred by violence and disrupted the claim that members were not allowed to participate in the congresses. Ajayi said that “I can tell you that nobody was deprived from the congress and it is our hope that it will be an acceptable one by the stakeholders. It is a blatant lie to say that people were deprived; people participated in the process.” Similarly, Elder Sam Oluwalana, the Director, Media and Communications, of the APC Caretaker Committee in Ekiti State, described the insinuations as misleading, insisting that there was no violence in Ekiti state during Saturday’s ward congresses.
“We would like to state categorically that the exercise was overwhelmingly peaceful across the state, and was a demonstration of our commitment to the principles and practice of democracy, as our members trooped out peacefully to elect executives of the party in the 177 wards in the state. “Without prejudice to ongoing investigations by the Ekiti State Command of the Nigeria Police Force, we would like to clarify issues around the isolated case of violence that occurred around the venue of the congress in Ward 10, Ado-Ekiti, which sadly resulted in the death of one person. “It is incontrovertible that the congress in the ward was peacefully concluded, followed by a celebration. Afterwards, there was a disagreement between two individuals around the venue on a matter totally unconnected to the congresses, which led to a fight and the unfortunate demise of one of them. “We have it on good authority that the incident happened long after the congress had been concluded and was not connected to the conduct nor outcome of the exercise. “In most of the wards across the state, the members and stakeholders of the party chose their leaders by consensus after extensive consultations and came out to affirm their choices at the designated congress venues. “In other wards where consensus could not be reached, there were free and fair elections in line with the provisions of the party’s constitution. There were no instances of parallel congresses anywhere in the state, and the entire exercise was conducted under the supervision of officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and security agencies. “Elections are naturally contentious, and there will always be differences in opinions and choices. The most important thing is that a level playing field was provided for all interested parties to freely exercise their franchise without let or hindrance. “This is what we have done, and we congratulate all members of APC Ekiti for an overwhelmingly peaceful and successful exercise as we begin to prepare for the subsequent stages,” Oluwalana said.
He, however, dismissed insinuations about a purported clash between supporters of Gov. Fayemi and Tinubu’s supporters in the state. Also, speaking with newsmen in Akure, the Ondo State Chairman of the APC ward Congress Committee, Mr. Gboyega Isiaka, said that the committee was satisfied with the conduct of the congresses across the 203 wards in the state. He also stated that “even though there were few issues as related to the conduct of the electoral process, it was a peaceful and successful one nonetheless” Mr. Isiaka explained that the turn-out for the electoral process was impressive. His statement was also corroborated by the Committee Secretary, Mr. Lanre Balogun, who commended the party’s members for the peaceful conduct of the exercise in most parts of the state. Meanwhile, the police in Ekiti State have begun an investigation into the circumstances surrounding death of the APC member. The deceased was reportedly hit by substances suspected to be charms and was confirmed dead at the hospital he was rushed to. Speaking with journalists in Ado Ekiti, on Sunday, the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Sunday Abutu, said the police were working tirelessly with party leaders to apprehend the suspect. “We are putting all the necessary efforts to track down the suspected killer, including working with the party leaders to get him arrested. “The matter happened yesterday and what we are doing now is to investigate the matter thoroughly and ascertain those that were involved in the dastardly act. “Though no arrest has been made but we are optimistic that no effort will be spared on the matter, because the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Babatunde Mobayo, won’t tolerate crime and criminality in Ekiti,” Abutu said.