Ekiti Poll: Don't turn Ekiti into bandit's den, group warns Fayemi

 

... says drivers, okada operators not with BAO

A group, Ekiti Build Back Better (EBBB) has warned Governor Kayode Fayemi against importing bandits into the state ahead of the June 18 governorship poll, saying the fallout of such dastardly act done in 2015 to influence the presidential poll has dealt a great blow to the nation.

The group also said the All Progressives Congress, APC, and its leaders should stop their desperation to rig the coming polls, as the people of the state have make up their minds to vote the party out in the election.

The EBBB, a group working in support of Asiwaju  Segun Oni, the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the coming election, added that Oni is undoubtedly the choice of the people of the state.

The group stated this in a statement on Monday by its spokesman, Mr Idowu Adelusi. 

"As the Ekiti State Governorship Election draws near, the state governor, Dr John Kayode Fayemi should not out of desperation to rig the June 18 governorship election for his anointed All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Mr Biodun Oyebamji, approve the importation of thugs, cultists and bandits into the state.

"Fayemi should learn lesson from what his party did in 2015 by importing bandits as voters from neighbouring countries to rig the presidential election, only for the bandits to stay back, formed terrorist gangs kidnapping and killing Nigerians since then," the group said.

It added that the security agencies in Ekiti should not fold their arms but to prevent the bandits, thugs, cultists, fake soldiers, fake police, fake voters and drivers from being imported into the state, less the state becomes like those states in the North where the bandits had settled after the 2015 election causing insecurity in the country.

Adelusi said that the state government had been boasting of having the control of the state money to fund the BAO Campaign Organisation  to cause mayhem, create fear, kill, maim and kidnap perceived opponents who are members and supporters of Oni, knowing well that the Ekiti people have rejected Oyebamji because the APC-led government has failed the people.

The spokesman said the new electoral law recently passed is an albatross to the APC which had always used fake police to scare voters and  snatch ballot boxes among other atrocities during elections.

He said the APC has been having secret meetings in Kogi, Ondo and in the state plotting to rig the election knowing well that its candidate cannot win the June 18 election.

Adelusi said the bitter experience of Ekiti people particularly the workers and pensioners in the hand of Fayemi administration informed the clarion call by the people for Oni to take over power, adding that majority of okada riders and drivers who are wearing BAO caps or putting its stickers on their vehicles and motorcycles are with Oni but playing along with the government so that they are not prevented from working.

The group told Fayemi to reflect and understand that God has been very kind to him and should therefore cooperate with the security agencies to have a peaceful free and fair election in the state.

APC AND THEIR PROPAGANDA OF FAKE POPULARITY.

*1. Pasting of BAO's Postals and Billboards all over the place, including every Motor Parks, using Government money and forcing commercial drivers and okada riders to buy and use their caps for #1,500

*2. Forcing all Commercial Vehicles plying Ekiti roads to buy BAO's Banner for #3,000 and paste on their vehicles, to give passerbys an impression that BAO and the APC are popular in Ekiti; so that when the perpetrate their rigging plans (God forbid), they will have certain things to hang on and probably deceive the Courts that they were popular.*

*3. Destroying the Postals, Banners and Billboards of the most popular Party in Ekiti presently, the SDP and making anyone who wants to produce such things go through rigours before approval pay through the nose at the Advertisement and Signage Agency office.*

*4. Forming and peddling completely false rumours and claiming such fake information came from Segun Oni himself, that his Party, the SDP is new and so not popular yet to win the June 18 Governorshship Election and that he does not trust his lieutenants, so as to cause misunderstandings and disaffection between them.*

*5. Launching of a 'Fake Opinion Poll' to determine who is the most popular and the most loved by Ekiti people among the major Aspirants in the State.*

*The 'Fake Opinion Poll' was created by a member of the APC and is being managed and remotely controlled by them to shoot up the fake scores of BAO, the APC candidate and give the public an impression that he is the most popular.*

*Apart the Opinion Poll being circulated being a fake and heavily manipulated one to deceive the public, is an online Opinion Poll a true test of a candidate's Electoral value in our state presently? No.

*How many of our old people and the illiterate electorates who does not have phones but form the bulk of the actual voting populace in Ekiti, vote online or even know the said poll exists; and how many of the elites that that voted online, even if real (though it's not), actually vote on Election days? Many of the elite online voters do not even have voter's cards, while many who have will not even show up at the voting centres in the Election day. Many will prefer to act as Election officials on that day than to go and queue to vote for any candidate**

Segun Oni: The truth, the lie and the people By Dr Ropo Apalowo.

 

On October 15th 2010, I was relaxing with a plate of pepper soup alongside some friends in Adebayo area of Ado Ekiti. I have barely finished when I received a call from my dad to start coming back home. Driving through the city, I noticed traffic was building up across major roads. What began like a small gathering of few people has became large crowd by the time I got to Irona. People were shouting, celebrating with wines, beer and Ogogoro in one hand, and brooms in the other hand. There was jubilation everywhere. The junction of my street was already blocked. The crowd was banging the doors of my car and later allowed me to pass after some of them recognized me.  I have never seen that kind of celebration before. Young and old, men and women, everybody were congratulating each other.

After several months of tension and legal battle, the ‘enemy of the people’ has been sacked from office. An Appeal court sitting in Ilorin has declared the election of Governor Olusegun Oni void. In his place, Dr. Kayode Fayemi was sworn in as the new governor. 

Prior to that day, Engr. Segun Oni was already the most hated political figure in the state. The hatred had no limit. Some even went to the extent of placing his statues in different ‘ori atan’ (refuse dump) across the state for people to pour dirt on them (according to their believe, that will make more people to hate him). 

Any rational mind will want to know the man's offence that generated animosity of such magnitude. Oni never owed civil servants. He was paying pensioners regularly. Infact, he was the first and only governor in the history of the State that made deliberate policy of paying gratuity and all the benefits of pensioners three months after they retire. He was passionate about grassroot development through Local Government autonomy.  He never touched money meant for Local Government. Chairmen were constructing roads and building schools. They commissioned hospitals and other infrastructures. The roads he constructed himself were durable and still standing today. He paid bursary to students. He also built decent estates (Irewolede estate ) in Ado and Ifaki. 

Yet, they gave him derogatory names like ‘dejo’. They said he was dull. The preferred candidate was said to be a friend of Barack Obama so they hope he is coming with a magic wand to solve all problems. Some also accused Oni of been imposed on the party. The odious lies against him spread like a bush fire during the harmattan. Emotions trumped reality. Ekiti people were deceived. Hoi polloi fell for it. His dismissal was what people wanted. The court pronouncement merely sealed their fate.

The great Greek statesman and General, Pericles said ‘’time is the wisest counselor of all’’. Fast forward to 2022 (12 years after), reality has set in. All the values Oni represented are what Ekiti people crave for today. Retired civil servants now go to ‘Ori Oke’ (mountains) for fasting and prayers so they can be paid their benefits before they die. Local Government chairmen are now glorified civil servants who look forward to whatever stipends the Governor give them. They are no more allowed to do projects, just their salaries. We no longer have a viable grass root system to cater for primary needs of people in the remote areas. The constitution recognizes three tiers of government; Federal, State and Local Government. In Ekiti, it is only Federal and State. Everything that belongs to the Local Government has been cornered by the governor. Students only read about bursary in the dictionary. 

Everything that looked simple during Oni’s government suddenly needs a supernatural power to make them happen. 

Now, the people need a radical change. They want a leader they can trust to restore sanity to the system. They needed a leader who will be a friend of civil servants, market women, farmers, students and traditional rulers. Segun Oni is the one that tick all the boxes. Time and chance has happened to him. He has been vindicated. His campaign is now been championed by civil servants, youths and retirees. Even when he was denied the ticket of PDP and moved to another party, everybody moved with him. Today, he is by far the most popular and acceptable candidate among the voting bloc. Ekiti people now know the truth.

Lies may travel for years but truth will surely catch up with it one day. Whether the agents of lies will allow the truth to be restored to its rightful place is a decision Ekiti electorate will have to make. Anyhow it goes, the truth has won

Ekiti 2022: Fayemi/APC recruits thugs

Ekiti 2022: Fayemi/APC recruits driver union as fake army and police - SOCO

The Segun Oni Campaign Organization has accused the governor of Ekiti state, Dr KAYODE Fayemi of planing to import thugs from neighboring state for the purpose of disrupting Segun Oni rallies and rig the election proper on the 18th of June 2022.

The organization said that the governor and some of the leaders of the All Progressive Congress (APC) have also concluded plans to procure police and army uniforms for the thugs and some members of the driver unions who will assist the party to cause mayhem before, during and after the election.

In a statement made available to journalists in Ado Ekiti on Wednesday, the Director of Media and Publicity, Segun Oni Campaign Organization, Mr Jackson Adebayo explained that the governor and some leaders of the All Progressive Congress met with the chairman of the Nigeria Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Mr OLUSEGUN Oso and a certain Kogi born merchant of thugs this week to finalize on the operations as it was planned.

According to the organization, the governor specifically gave the order at the meeting that all the drivers and thugs that will be so recruited must be specially trained for the assignment at a location in Okene, Kogi State.

At the meeting he informed them that he has been in touch with the Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello to facilitate the arrangements and the location thereby their won't be unnecessary exposure.

Adebayo added that a sum of Two Hundred Million                          (N 200,000,000) has been earmarked for the operations with any thug who will be ready to wear the fake army and police uniform to be paid handsomely.

He further alleged that the leadership of the driver unions have promised to assist the governor in this operations hence the meeting held by the governor and unions.

" It will be recalled that the leadership of the driver unions have in past Two months made it mandatory for all the drivers to paste Biodun Oyebamji ( APC candidate) big stickers on their vehicle if they want to be allowed to operate on Ekiti roads while at the same time forcing the drivers to pay sums ranging between N1,500 and 2,000; any driver who rebuffed are barred from operating their legitimate business."

"We are calling on the Chief of Army Staff, the Inspector-General of police, Nigeria National Intelligence Agency and the Director General of the Department of state services to as a matter of urgency intervene in order to save Ekiti state from unnecessary threat to live and property while we call on the security agencies to swing into action by investigating the allegations as a matter of urgency."