The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State over the adoption of the Deputy Governor, Prof. Kolapo Olusola by Governor Ayo Fayose as his preferred successor has worsened.
This is as a notable aide and loyalist of the governor, Chief Segun Akinwumi, has resigned his appointment in the Fayose administration after serving for more than three years.
Akinwumi was appointed as Director General/Special Adviser on Procurement Matters where he served for three years before he was later appointed Special Assistant on General Matters.
He accused the governor of playing God with the alleged plan to sideline other party stakeholders in the choice of the flag bearer for the 2018 governorship election.
Akinwumi, who is also a former Chairman of Ilejemeje Local Government, in his resignation letter dated 29th December, 2017 did not give any reason for stepping down from office.
The five-paragraph letter reads: “I hereby tender my resignation with immediate effect.
“Sir, you would recall that on 24th October, 2014, you appointed me Director General/Special Adviser on Procurement Matters in your governments, the position I held until I was redeployed as Special Assistant, General Matters, till today, 29th December, 2017.
“I thank you most sincerely for giving me the rare opportunity to serve at both appointments. Please accept the assurances of my kindest regards.”
When asked in a telephone chat by our reporter on Sunday why he resigned from the Fayose administration, Akinwumi said he took the decision to quit because Fayose has been playing God on the choice of a successor.
He claimed that Fayose had first told him and other aides to work for ormer Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Owoseni Ajayi and later former Commissioner for Works, Mr. Kayode Oso as successor.
The former aide, who maintained that he remained in PDP and has no reason to leave the party, said Fayose reneged on his promise to leave the Government House with his deputy at the expiration of their tenure in October 2018.
Akinwumi said: “I am a product of establishment for the past 39 years band under the tutelage of Baba Awolowo. People were brought in under establishment, it was Baba Ayo Fasanmi that brought us into politics.
“Bringing somebody (Olusola) from nowhere, bringing somebody from the sidelines will not work. It is someone within the system that we want in the PDP.
“Fayose should stop playing God in our party, let the national leadership and people that matter tell him not to play God again in our party because you cannot mock God.
“Fayose had told us that he would serve out his tenure together with his deputy. No God has spoken to anybody about it, no one can play God no matter how highly placed and anyone that plays God will become an ex-person.
“This was a man (Fayose) that said in public glare on April 24, 2014 that Owoseni Ajayi should not contest to be deputy governor but a governorship material.
“Fayose also promised before the whole world that when his tenure finishes in 2018, he and his deputy, (Olusola) Eleka would leave the Government House together.
“Eleka should be advised to dust his papers and go back to classroom because imposition won’t work in our party. Politics has not got to a level in which somebody will be begged to contest the governorship in which the whole state is your constituency.”
He said further: “How can you just wake up one day and impose (Olusola) Eleka on other party members and leaders? PDP is not a one-man party, one man cannot just decide who is the party’s flag bearer at a governorship election expected to be keenly contested.
“This was the same governor who asked us to be working for Owoseni Ajayi telling us that himself and the deputy governor would serve out their tenure together, that both of them are leaving the Government House together.
“Later, he said we should stop working for Owoseni Ajayi, that the person now to work with was Kayode Oso and we started wondering what was going on.
“He later came to tell us that it is no longer Oso again that we should now work for (Olusola) Eleka. We asked questions, he said he would not tolerate any question from us that we should just carry out his order. Eleka cannot work, we need a popular and acceptable candidate.”
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