Wole Balogun, Ado-Ekiti
Tension is brewing in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, ahead of the annual cultural festival of the town, tagged: Udiroko.
It was gathered, yesterday, that the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders are trading tackles over alleged plan to cause mayhem during the festival.
Following the rebuff of 17 prominent monarchs by Governor Kayode Fayemi, who inaugurated the Alawe of Ilawe-Ekiti, Oba Alabi Adebanji as the chairman, Ekiti Council of Traditional Rulers in spite of his rejection by the prominent monarchs, there have been speculations that the aggrieved monarchs would either boycott Udiroko or resist Alawe from parading himself as their leader.
Alleging that the PDP was planning to unleash violence during the event, APC, in a statement by its Director of Media and Publicity, Sam Oluwalana, said: “We have it on good authority that a former governor of the state wants to hide under the Udiroko festival to launch himself back into the politics of the state having failed woefully to achieve this through the ballot.
“The former governor and his cohorts having been traumatised by the gale of unprecedented achievements of the Fayemi administration, are now attempting to make a return to the politics of the state through the back door.
“He is aware that his antics while in the saddle for four years during which he selfishly allocated the wealth of the state to himself and immediate family have been exposed.”
Responding, former governor Ayo Fayose’s spokesman, Lere Olayinka, said: “We are not in the habit of dignifying lowlife and people living with guilt of forcing themselves on Ekiti.
“It is obvious that more than two years after manipulating themselves into power, they are still afraid of the shadow of Fayose, a man whose footprints will remain on the sands of Ekiti forever.
“Rather than jumping up and down, spinning lies against Fayose, who is moving on with his life after serving Ekiti diligently, Governor Fayemi and his APC election riggers should concentrate on making meaningful impacts in the state, because almost one year has been wasted already out of the four years that was stolen for them.
Also, Fayemi should endeavour to give the Udiroko festival the same level glamour and attention it was given by the Fayose-led PDP government instead of looking for a cheap way to stay away from the festival as he is planning to do.”