JKF Ambition Tears His Former Exco ... As Majority Insists He Plays Father Figure Role

Dr Kayode Fayemi

The rumoured governorship ambition of former Governor of Ekiti State and Minister of Solid Mineral Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi is already dividing his former State Executive members as majority of them have scored him low at a meeting held at the instance of the former Deputy Governor, Professor Modupe Adelabu in Ado Ekiti recently.

The meeting held at the residence of Professor Adelabu was attended by about 20 commissioners out of whom Chief Dayo Fadipe was asked to act as the presiding officer since the convener was busy with the hosting arrangement.

It was authoritatively gathered that the former deputy governor set the ball rolling by unveiling Dr Fayemi's intention to run for 2018 governorship election. This, Fountain Newsbreaker gathered, generated heated debate as each of them in attendance took his or her turn to comment. In fear of what might likely be the outcome of the debate, it was agreed that there should not be a communique but that each person's comment should be recorded on his or her name.

This meeting, it would be recalled, had generated a controversy as Ekiti Paramount Club, a group led by one Dr Tunde Ojo congratulated the former commissioners for reportedly rejecting their boss' ambition. But in a swift reaction, one of the commissioners, Mrs Fola Richie debunked the claim, saying that nothing of such happened.

Investigation by Fountain Newsbreaker revealed that there was more to Dr Tunde Ojo led group's report than the eyes can see.13 out of the 18 people who spoke at the meeting advised Fayemi to maintain his father figure role while five of them gave their backings as two maintained neutrality. Fountain Newsbreaker exclusively gathered that "at no time did we choose Mrs Fola Richie to serve as our Secretary at the meeting or as a spokesperson thereafter."

Chief Fadipe who presided  extempore at the meeting was said to have lamented that "Dr Fayemi was too far from his political family.  According to our credible source, Fadipe disclosed that he once sought the minister's intervention on the employment for his two children who possessed a degree and Master's degree but was saddened when his former boss told him that his "ministry is not an employment agency".

The former Commissioner for Finance, Dapo Kolawole who was also at the meeting was said to have apologised to his colleagues who might still be offended over the non payment of their full furniture allowances. He however, endorsed Dr Fayemi's ambition considering it as the only viable option on ground now in APC. Below is the full text of the release by Mrs Fola Richie to counter the story by Dr Tunde Ojo's:

 Our attention has been drawn to a faceless and false presentation of the proceedings of the xtmas party for former cabinet members under Governor Kayode Fayemi.
We would not have ordinarily responded to the charade but we have a sacred duty to set the record  straight for posterity and integrity of those in attendance.
The program was a family event, discussion was frank, robust and diverse. On the purported Governor Fayemi' s aspirations opinions were diverse but all in attendance recognised his constitutional rights to contest and consequently the meeting agreed that further meeting with Governor Fayemi is desirable .
This is the true reflection of the proceeding just to set the record straight.

Thanks.
Fola Richie Adewusi
Secretary.

An eye witness account disclosed that Mrs Fola Richie stated at the meeting that she was never a politician before she was invited by Dr Fayemi to serve as Commissioner and that for all it's worth, she would remain committed to her boss' ambition.

The former Chief of Staff, Mr Yemi Adaramodu, was called on phone to comment on the meeting but he declined comment on the ground that he was not in attendance. When pressed further Adaramodu declared; "this man please stop pestering me, I said I wasn't at the meeting abi Oran nibe ni (is it by force)?

Professor Adelabu in a chat with Fountain Newsbreaker described the group's report as ruse,  though some other members at the meeting who spoke under anonymity said: "majority of us actually want Oga to play the role of an independent arbiter in the governorship race rather than presenting himself if he couldn't find any of us, his followers suitable for the post"

Few months ago, a meeting of Dr Fayemi's political associates was called by the Director General of JKF Centre, Mr Mike Omoleye where preponderance of opinion at the meeting held at the JKF Centre did not support Fayemi's ambition. It was agreed at there that the minister should reconvene the meeting which comprised core grassroot politicians who held one position or the other in his administration but this idea was jettisoned because of the alleged misrepresentation of what took place at the meeting.

In another development, Fountain Newsbreaker's checks revealed that, the minister had sent to Ekiti a crop of independent investigators to do a finding on his chances of winning the election. The group visited Ekiti State and conducted its research within outside APC after which it informed Fayemi that if he contested for the party's primary, he would win but that Professor Kolapo Olusola of People's Democratic Party would defeat him at the general election.

This independent report was said to have been outrightly rejected by Fayemi's strongmen who believed whosoever is sponsored by APC would defeat the PDP which they concluded had been fictionalized by Governor Ayo Fayose's imposition of his deputy. Though  Dr Fayemi is yet publicly announce, there are indications that majority of those currently holding party positions are not well disposed to the ambition of both former governors Segun Oni and Kayode Fayemi, who are currently holding sensitive positions at the national level.

The recent announcement of federal appointments of boards and parastals which was supposed to be a plus for the party in mobilizing towards the 2018 governorship election has started raising some dust. Some members of the party felt dissatisfied that their Local Governments were left out.

One of the party leaders who spoke with the Fountain Newsbreaker said: "must we almost recycle those who already held certain position all the time?" The leader who was from Ikere Ekiti wondered why Dr Eniola Okaitan Ajayi who had already been made an Ambassador still had her name listed on the new appointments again.

"With this appointment of Chief Segun Oni as a Board Chairman coupled with his position as the National Deputy Chairman of the Party, let's wait and see if he will resign from all these positions again to vie for governorship in the party", our source stated.

Out of the 24 Ekiti indigenes listed in the federal appointments, five of them have vested interest to contest the governorship primary election of APC in 2018.