Former Minister of Works, Senator Dayo Adeyeye has said that the recent condemnation of the formation of South West Agenda for 2023, (SWAGA) by Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, is a confirmation that the governor is out of tune with party developmental practices and a seal on earlier allegation of being the mastermind of the suspension bid on Ado Ekiti Ward 8 Caretaker Chairman, Clement Afolabi
Media aide to the Chairman of the South West Agenda for 2023, (SWAGA) Sen. Adeyeye, Mr. Gboyega Adeoye, said this while reacting to a statement credited to Governor Fayemi that SWAGA was formed against a standing order by party hierarchy that no group should be formed within the All Progressives Congress, (APC).
Adeoye, in a statement issued on Friday and made available to newsmen described the reaction as mere kicks of a confused, dejected bigot, just as he expressed disappointment that a leader whose house is gradually being decimated could settle for “petty name-calling as response to critical anti-party indictments.”
According to him, “the nucleus of our statement was on the bid to suspend Hon. Clement Afolabi, the Caretaker Chairman of Ado Ekiti Ward 8, which coincidentally is the home Ward of one of our Leaders in Ekiti APC and current Senior Special Adviser to Mr President on Strategy and Political Matters, Senator Babafemi Ojudu.
“We, as well as the overwhelming majority of the people of Ekiti State know where such plot was coming from and we promptly reacted to check the consequence of an irrational plot we feel would further divide the party. Rather than facing the message, they are after the messenger,” the statement said.
Governor Fayemi, who reacted through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications, Segun Dipe, had stated that: “Just last year June (2020), the Lagos APC, led by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu dissolved all groups within the party into the APC structure in the state,” noting that “a communique duly signed by the Governor’s Advisory Council, which is the highest decision-making body within the Lagos APC, all groups, including the two most powerful – The Mandate Group and Justice Forum – ceased to exist. The resolution, Tinubu himself said, was to restate the often-stated position that the only group known is the APC and not any of the factional groups.”
But, Adeoye, in the statement questioned, “Our response to this is a further explanation from the mischief makers on how the formation of SWAGA is connected with how a party squabble was resolved in Lagos?”.
He continued, “I think our people really need some education on SWAGA, which is an idea of a group of party loyalists from the western part of the country to present a common, credible and articulate candidate from the South West for the 2023 presidential election.
“By APC standard, it is expected that presidency should rotate back to the South after the expiration of the incumbent President Mohammadu Buhari’s eight years tenure. And these like minds put heads together to present a front to search for an aspirant that can bid favourably and creditably with whoever may aspire from the other geographical parts of the south. And they found a suitable person in Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“SWAGA has been operating openly since January and it has been inaugurated in four western states of Oyo, Osun, Ogun and Ondo States with funfair. And we ask: Why is it now that preparation is in top gear to launch in Ekiti that this noise gets audible; how does a bread suddenly became stone at the turn of a toothless man?
“And to nail their own coffin the statement added in testimony to their illusion that: “the comments credited to the governor during last week’s ‘The Platform’ event in Lagos was a testimony of his altruistic and democratic acumen.
“While fielding questions on the agitations by the youths, Governor Fayemi said the young people should stop agonising and start organizing. And that if they don’t like what APC is doing, there’s only one way: Let them organize, go to a party of their choice and vote against us”, the statement added.
Adeoye further opined that the statement is self-indicting as it is expected of a leader, close to governance, to use such opportunity to enlighten the public on the intricacies of leadership at this time of global crises, engendered by the COVID-19 pandemic, the effect of the crash of oil price in the international market and the attendant negative effects on our economy.
“To this, we say there can never be a better way to a leaders’ viciousness and democratic ignorance. Leaders build, leaders educate, leaders don’t destroy”, the statement concluded.
