An ally of Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Pastor Yemi Olayinka, has defected to the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).
Olayinka who joined the APC at Ado Ekiti Ward 8 Thursday evening said Ekiti is now reeling under a one-man dictatorship which has made governance to grind to a halt and inflicted hardship on the masses through “anti-people policies.”
Speaking with reporters shortly after being admitted into his new party (APC), Olayinka described PDP as a “dead party that is already waiting for its final funeral” owing to the alleged autocratic leadership style of Fayose.
The former Special Assistant to the Governor on Youth Matters accused Fayose of deceiving voters in the run-up to the June 21, 2014 governorship election by claiming that he (Fayose) has changed noting that “Ekiti people have now realized that a leopard cannot change its spot.”
Olayinka was received into the party by Acting State Chairman of APC, Mrs. Kemisola Olaleye, ward and local government executives of the party.
According to him, the governor’s leadership style has forced prominent members of the PDP including foundation members to leave the party and portrayed it in bad light before the people of the state.
Olayinka said: “I love PDP so well that I decided that come rain, come sunshine, I will never defect to APC. But when Fayose came, he hijacked the party. He is the State Working Committee, the Commissioners, the Assembly members, to the extent that nobody could have a say.
“He has forgotten so soon that during his misadventure to Labour Party, some of us stayed back in the PDP and prevented it from total collapse. If PDP had died before he came, would he have won the governorship ticket? Today, Fayose has succeeded in killing the party in Ekiti .
“I can’t afford to stay in a party that is being controlled by a power-greedy individual. I am a team player and I believe in the ethos of democracy, so we are leaving the PDP for Fayose all alone”.
Olayinka promised to work for the unity of APC at ward, local government and state levels also pledged to work hard to ensure that his new party bounces back to power at the next governorship poll.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mrs. Olaleye said party members need unity more than ever before to deliver Ekiti people from alleged misrule and dictatorship of the PDP-led administration.
She said the door of the party is open to new members who are willing to join urging party’s old members not to discriminate against those coming into the party. She said that new members will enjoy same privilege as old members.
She said: “As much as our doors are open to whoever wants to join us, we will
also be mindful by screening whoever signifies intention, so that we won’t allow an anarchist into our midst.
“You can see that there is no disunity or groupings again in APC, all of us are now under one big umbrella called APC.”
Meanwhile, Fayose has threatened to shut down the Federal University, Oye Ekiti (FUOYE) over alleged failure of the authorities to remit taxes due to the state government.
Fayose handed down the warning while playing host to the new FUOYE Vice Chancellor, Prof. Kayode Soremekun, in his office on Thursday in Ado Ekiti.
Fayose maintained that payment of taxes is important and should be respected by the school without which it would face the consequences.
Earlier in his remarks, Prof Soremekun pleaded with Fayose to show understanding because FUOYE was already remitting 50 percent of the taxes accruing to the Ekiti State government.
“I think it is fair compare with what obtain in other institutions like ours across the country. We therefore seek the understanding of our governor on this issue.
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