Former Minister of Works, Prince Adedayo Adeyeye, on Thursday declared for Senate on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) with a promise to give his district the expected democratic dividends.
Adeyeye is contesting to represent Ekiti South Senatorial district in 2019.
Adeyeye defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to APC few days to the July 14 governorship election in the state due to irreconcilable differences with Governor Ayodele Fayose.
Speaking with journalists at his Ise Ekiti country home, the aspirant said he was joining the race after thorough commitments from the national, zonal and state leaders of the party, whom he said had already endorsed his aspiration.
He accused Fayose for allegedly appropriating N75 million worth Lexus Jeep as parting gift and payment of N43m severance allowance to himself and his Deputy, Prof Kolapo Olusola even when civil servants are being owed backlog of salaries.
He said, “I have always identified Fayose as a selfish person. He is a looter and only thinks of himself alone.”
He expressed confidence that the governor-elect, Dr Kayode Fayemi won’t disappoint Ekiti, saying all the 133 towns and villages will benefit from his government.
Adeyeye declared for Senate at Ise Ekiti during the Senatorial meeting of the party held in his home and attended by party’s bigwigs and aspirants from the zone.
He said: “I want to thank the youths, elders and leaders of the party for the way they mobilized during the July 14 election. I was the happiest man in Ekiti over the way the APC chased away Governor Fayose.
“I decided to return to APC, because I was a foundation member of Alliance for Democracy. I was the Publicity Secretary of the party at a time and I remained in the party until Action Congress was formed. So I only returned home not that I defected.
“I want to assure you that I will do the Ekiti South proud if given the ticket. I will not discriminate and the fact that you asked me to host this meeting confirmed that APC is not discriminatory.
“Let me assure you, the APC will win the next Presidential election. President Muhammadu Buhari will return again as President. We will win the three Senate seats, six House of Representatives setas and the 26 Assembly seats, because APC is united.
“I will do well for our people; I will bring my varied and vast experiences to bear if elected. I will fight for Ekiti people in the Senate. We are sure of victory, because our party is strong, focused and united”, he said.
On the way some aspirants, including former governorship aspirant, Hon. Bamidele Faparusi had stepped down for him, Adeyeye stated that it indicated the wide acceptability he enjoyed in the party.
“I want to thank those who stepped down to prevent crisis in the party and this indicated that our party is united and we are committed to ensuring that we have a landslide victory in the elections”.
On the allegation that Fayose appropriated N75 million car to himself and paid N34 million as severance allowance, Adeyeye urged the leadership of the party to be more vigilant to prevent the state from being plundered by the outgoing government.
“I have always maintained that Governor Fayose can’t be trusted. I know he will like to appropriate everything to himself. We learnt he has been selling state assets, like the Erunfun Land along Ijan road.
That land was bought by Chief Obafemi Awolowo in 1949 and he never appropriated it.
“We have had many governments in Ekiti, former governors Oni and Fayemi had come and never contemplated to sell the land, but Fayose was planning to sell it to himself, Ekiti people won’t accept that.
“It was Fayemi who supposed to send him off, but due to selfishness, he decided to appropriate that to himself, that is not a trait of a good leader.
“For four years, Fayose didn’t do more than five projects and he claimed he had performed. He only touched two towns throughout the time. Schools, hospitals and roads have decayed under Fayose. No investments in agriculture, road network, everything was neglected.
Not even a single investment was witnessed in Agriculture, so that victory was a sound one for APC and Ekiti people.
“Fayose made several agreements with leaders of PDP in 2014 to be able to win governorship, he never fulfilled any. He manipulated everything to suit him in PDP. In spite of that, I nearly won the governorshipn primary before I decided to defect to APC, just to defeat him at all cost”.
Those at the event include APC Senatorial chairman in the South, Hon Kayode Babade, Secretary of the party, Barrister Paul Omotoso, former Secretary to the State Government, Chief Afolabi Ojuawo, Chief Ropo Adesanya, Former Speaker, Ekiti State House of Assembly, Hon. Femi Bamisile, House of Representatives Aspirants, Mr Makinde Araoye and Muyiwa Olumilua, APC State organizing Secretary, Mr Amire Kolade, among others.
