From WOLE BALOGUN, Ado-Ekiti
Ahead of the 2018 gubernatorial poll in Ekiti State, things appear to have already fallen apart among the gladiators in the race from the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP).
In the past few days, an alleged cold war speculated to have brewed between Governor Ayodele Fayose and Ex-Deputy Governor of the state and current Senator of the Federal Republic, representing Ekiti South, is now being fought in the open.
It was being rumoured that the cold war could not be unconnected with Senator Olujimi’s ambition to be the next governor of Ekiti State. It was also speculated that Fayose had allegedly asked Olujimi to withdraw her ambition but she had refused to back down.
Last Thursday, two lawmakers of the Ekiti House of Assembly, Michael Adedeji, representing Ekiti Southwest constituency II and Adeojo Fajana, representing Ekiti East constituency 1, were fingered by the leadership of the House for working against the unity of the House in favour of Senator Biodun Olujimi. The House had found them guilty for what it termed ‘unholy alliance’ with Olujimi, with an allegation that the federal lawmaker was diverting her constituency projects of a water borehole and a road project into personal use of the two state lawmakers.
Reacting to the development, Omotosho alleged that Olujimi was diverting constituency projects for personal use.
He said the alliances with the Senator had made some lawmakers to consistently exhibit signs and acted disrespectfully to the office of the speaker, thus bringing his office and integrity of the house to disrepute. “When you talk of the leader of our party in the state, the only leader we have now is Governor Ayodele Fayose and there cannot be two leaders. It is impossible. Olujimi can only be said to be one of the smaller leaders of the party in the state.
But responding to Omotosho, Olujimi described the Assembly’s action as political witch-hunt, and further denied ever diverting her constituency project for any personal use in favour of the lawmakers in question.
She said it was not true that she diverted her constituency to the personal use of the two lawmakers with a view to buy them over.
She said: “They are just hiding behind one finger. They are playing cheap and small boys politics, using worn out tricks. Let them try new tricks.”