Ekiti Poll: Oni Explains His Court Action against Fayemi

BY Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti

In what appears like a major crisis in the All Progresives

Congress(APC) in Ekiti State ahead of the July 14 gubernatorial election, the campaign organisation of Segun Oni, one of the governorship aspirants in the party, has explained its controversial courts case against the candidature of Dr. Kayode Fayemi.

Oni came second in the APC primary that produced Fayemi as the governorship candidate of the APC.

According to the communique at the end of its expanded meeting in Ado Ekiti, the state capital, The Segun Oni Campaign Organisation (SOCO), bemoaned what it described as the ostracisation their members had suffered in the wake of the APC primaries and since the emergence of Fayemi as the party’s candidate.

In the communique signed by SOCO’s  Director General, Dr. Ife Arowosoge, the group said the court case was in the interest of the APC in the state.

The communique said the members of SOCO were “aware of the recent case pending before the High Court of Ekiti State instituted by the government of Ekiti Sate against the candidate of our party, Fayemi, for the purpose of disqualifying him from contesting the forth-coming election slated for July 14, 2018.”

SOCO held that the suit by the government was aimed at “rendering our party incapable of presenting candidate at the election or removing him from office after winning the election if Ekiti State government wins their case no matter how long that takes.”

According to the group, “it is on this note we unanimously resolved to support the fore-sighted legal action instituted by the Segun Oni group as this will not only prevent the party from not being part of the governorship election but, very importantly, strengthen the rule of law and our democracy in Nigeria.”

The group also said the case was also “to protect the best interest of the members of the group and the greatest interest of the greatest number of Ekiti people,” and added that “the legal action will defend our rights, privileges and interests within the party”.

The Oni group added that “we appreciate the recent counsel of our South-west leaders in the media but we plead for their understanding that our decision to go to court is to protect in particular, the current and future best interest of our group members of the party that are suffering so much unwarranted abuse and humiliation and who are not seen, heard or recognised as part of APC.”

Also in the communique, the Oni supporters alleged “the John Kayode Fayemi Campaign Organisation (JKFCO) has since from onset adopted the attitude of non-inclusiveness, ostracisation, marginalisation and demonstration of open hatred for Segun Oni and his group.”

It alleged that “the insinuation for all these started before the primary, when it was reported that the main reason Fayemi joined the race was to prevent a “stranger” like Segun Oni from taking over the APC.