The former Governor of Ekiti State, Chief Segun Oni, has told the All Progressives Congress(APC) to expect defeat in the 2022 governorship poll.
He said the routing of the APC in the next gubernatorial election would be a child’s play compared to that of 2014 when Governor Kayode Fayemi was defeated across the 16 local government areas of the state.
Oni said Fayemi lost to Ayodele Fayose in that poll owing to alleged arrogance displayed by APC against Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, who left the party to contest for governorship on the platform of Labour Party.
Oni said the same culture of arrogance was allegedly exhibited against him, which he said pushed him to return to the People’s Democratic Party(PDP), contrary to APC’s position that he did that for selfish interest.
Oni said this in a statement in Ado Ekiti by the Director-General of his political organisation, Atunse Ekiti Movement, Dr Ife Arowosoge, on Friday.
Oni was reacting to a statement allegedly credited to APC State Chairman, Paul Omotoso that the ex-governor was regarded as a nominal member throughout his stay in the party
Responding to this, Oni said that uncouth utterance further confirmed the APC’s recklessness, lawlessness and disregard for perceived enemies.
“Was it appropriate for Paul Omotoso to have described Oni, a former Governor, a foundation member of APC and the very first Deputy National Chairman, who always stood in as Acting National Chairman whenever the Chairman was not around as a nominal member of APC?”.
Oni wondered why Omotoso could accuse him of not being impactful as a Deputy National Chairman by not assisting people with contracts and appointments, saying the power of the office as spelt out in Article 14 (2) of the Constitution of APC does not include the award of contracts or lobbying for appointments.
“The same pomposity was demonstrated when Senator Bamidele was forced out of ACN in 2013 and what was the result of the Fayemi’s 2014 governorship election? It was calamitous, disgraceful and shameful leading to 16-0 loss. The same episode will repeat itself in 2022”, he bowed.
Oni said he decided to leave APC owing to Fayemi’s perceived enmity against his political followers and not for selfish pursuit.
“The nepotism and clannishness witnessed in government’s appointments into federal and state positions, the inhuman treatment meted out to all Atunse Ekiti members and all people linked to Oni, the fact that due process was not followed in establishing party executives by not conducting congresses at the ward, Local government and state levels forced us out of APC.
“Added to that was the fact that appointments to Government positions both at the Federal State and Local Government levels were limited to the family members of Governor Fayemi and no member of Atunse Ekiti Movement were not considered for an appointment, either at the Federal, State or Local Government level.
“Again, many members of Atunse Ekiti Movement are being threatened with expulsion and suspension and many had been suspended for phantom anti-party activities was responsible for why I left and not what Omotoso said”.
Oni stated that no amount of blackmail would make him waver on his resolve to restore sanity to Ekiti in 2022, by joining hands with the citizens to install a governor they can trust.