Ahead of the July 14 governorship election in Ekiti State, a former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial aspirant in the state, Prince Dayo Adeyeye has defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Prince Adeyeye made the declaration on Tuesday.
The former minister had lost the PDP ticket for the Ekiti governorship election to Prof Kolapo Eleka, incumbent deputy governor of the state.
Read the full speech announcing his defection below:
“Gentlemen of the press, you will recall that i addressed you two days after the PDP Governorship primary in Ekiti State and I stated on that occasion that I was leaving the PDP.
Leaving the PDP was not an easy decision to make. That was a party to which I have rendered invaluable service at the most trying period of its history.
Expectedly patriotic leaders of the party appealed to me to reconsider my decision in the light of my previous services and loyalty to the party. But the issue was never about me as a person. It was about the interest of the very many people who associate with me and more importantly the collective interest and future of Ekiti people. For me politics has always been an opportunity to serve and make contribution towards the development of my community and the nation.
Therefore where I am compelled to make a choice between loyalty to a political party and loyalty to my community, l will readily chose my community or state. Political parties come and go but the community remains. I cannot change my state or hometown but I can always change my party if I feel that it can no longer serve as a vehicle for our collective good as a people.
As a thorough bred Ekiti person with a deep love of this land and the people It is incumbent on me to resist and stop the evil agenda of one man to put our people in perpetual enslavement. I have said No to Fayose’s continuity of dictatorship, impunity, imposition, poverty, unprecedented looting of our common patrimony and deliberate debasement of the self esteem of our people.
For my friends, admirers, patrons and well wishers I want to reiterate that Fayose is an impossible person to deal with. A pompous martinet with a huge ego ,he is deliberately divisive and deceitful . He does not believe in reconciliation and no effort at reconciliation will work with him.
Therefore after deep introspection and wide consultation with various stakeholders in this State, my supporters and I have decided to leave Egypt which the Fayose administration represents and join hands with patriotic Ekiti people to board the train of the APC for the onward journey to our promised land .
We are joining forces with eminent Ekiti sons and daughters to free our land from the Vulture and predator feeding fat on our common wealth. We want to set our land free and never again shall we entrust our land unto the hands of unknown person with unverifiable pedigree to ride roughshod on our people.
We have assurances of Dr. Kayode Fayemi the APC candidate that he has come to right the wrong of the past and not on a vengeance mission as being touted by Fayose and his cohorts. He is now better equipped, well focused and better prepared to move Ekiti forward. Let’s join hands with him in the collective mission to rescue our dear State from the greedy predator in this hour of our greatest need. This is a call to duty for all patriotic Ekiti sons and daughters.
My supporters, associates, PAAM and I have finally resolved to join APC with effect from today 29th May in the celebration of democracy day that some of us fought gallantly to achieve from the military.”
Comments