Ekiti 2014: ACN’s festering crisis over Bamidele’s gov bid

JULY 16, 2013 BY FUNMI OJUROYE, LAGOS STATE

OPEYEMI BAMIDELE
credits: File copy

Femi Makinde writes on the dispute between Governor Kayode Fayemi and the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Legislative Budget and Research, Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele

The Action Congress of Nigeria in Ekiti State has been polarised by the insistence of the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Legislative Budget and Research, Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele, to contest against Governor Kayode Fayemi.

The party before now denied the existence of a rift between the governor and Bamidele.

The state chapter of the party is now split between those who  support Fayemi and those sympathetic to the lawmaker.

This has become a threat to ACN’s dominance of the state’s political landscape. Aware of the not too pleasant consequences of allowing the dispute linger, the national leadership of the party sent a high-powered delegation to Ado Ekiti to reconcile the two prominent sons of the state.

Bamidele, who did not attend the meeting, claimed to have received the text message inviting him two days after.

At the meeting, ACN National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, stressed the need for the party to unite. He cautioned Fayemi’s supporters against treating aggrieved members of the party as outsiders, saying there was no need to tear anybody’s campaign posters.

Tinubu, the ACN National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, and others who were obviously happy with Fayemi’s performance openly endorsed his desire to seek a second term.

Tinubu, who said an official endorsement would be announced later, urged Bamidele to temporarily shelve his governorship ambition to enable the ACN unite and prepare to face the 2014 governorship election in the state.

Many believe that Bamidele would heed this advice, especially when it is coming from Tinubu, who brought him into political limelight. Recent events have however proved them wrong as Bamidele barely allowed his former boss conclude his speech before insisting he would forge ahead with his plans.

Bamidele said that there was no going back on his decision to contest against Fayemi. This is despite the advice of party leaders which include: former Governor Niyi Adebayo, who stood solidly with Bamidele against Babafemi Ojudu during the 2011 struggle for the ticket to represent Ekiti Central Federal Senatorial District.

The struggle between him and  Ojudu was so fierce that it polarised the party and almost cost the ACN the senatorial election.

It is generally believed that the  ruling party could enjoy a smooth ride if Fayemi is allowed to run on the party’s platform unopposed.

Fayemi may not have scored 100 per cent in terms of performance in his almost three years in office but observers say he has done well.

There have been rumours that Bamidele is working behind the scene  with the Labour Party. The rumour started late in 2012 and by December of that same year, his campaign posters with  LP logo flooded Ado-Ekiti, Iyin-Ekiti and Igede-Ekiti . He denied being behind the posters, blaming it on    his detractors . But some ACN members, who argued that the lawmaker had since left the party,  claimed that he rendered financial assistance to  Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko   to enable him win the October 20 governorship poll.

Bamidele had addressed his supporters in Ado-Ekiti on Saturday, just three days after Tinubu and other leaders of the ACN   left  the state capital.

The ACN leaders are all of the opinion that  Bamidele should temporally shelve his ambition because  contesting  against the incumbent   could rock the boat. But  the lawmaker  has told who ever cares to listen, that he would no longer ignore the   people of the state who had severally  asked him to save the state from poverty and underdevelopment.

There are speculations also  that Bamidele may team up with ousted Governor Segun Oni and a former Publicity Secretary of  Afenifere, Mr. Dayo Adeyeye,  to resuscitate the LP  in the state. Although,  Bamidele  has not been categorical about dumping the ruling ACN, his threat to defect  if not allowed to contest on its platform, is an indication that there may be an element of truth in these speculations.

The lawmaker’s supporters held a rally on the platform of Ekiti Bibire Coalition. The crowd  included  some Peoples Democratic Party members , who  asked  him  to contest.

In response, Bamidele, who  said he would heed their  call,  expressed optimism that Tinubu would not begrudge him for nursing an ambition to take Ekiti State to the next level. He said the message of reconciliation which Tinubu preached  at the meeting was deliberately distorted.

Bamidele said, “I am stating unequivocally that by the grace of God and the encouragement of  well-meaning people of Ekiti State,  I, Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, will be contesting election to be Governor of Ekiti State come year,  2014. It is an irrevocable conclusion based on popular yearnings as well as my personal conviction and commitment to human capital development and the creation of a new and united Ekiti State.

“The deliberate mismanagement of information  on the meeting’s proceedings no doubt, is in furtherance of a  series of attempts to push me and my supporters out of the ACN, forgetting that even if they had succeeded in doing that, it still would not deter me from pursuing my vision and ambition on other progressive party platforms based on divine guidance and the leading of Ekiti stakeholders home and abroad.

“I have an aspiration to be governor.”

The Chairman of the ACN in the state, Chief Jide Awe, appealed to Bamidele  to rescind his decision and work together with Fayemi and others to continue to develop the state. He, however, said that the only governorship ticket in the party had been reserved for Fayemi because he had done well.

He said, “For us in the ACN, we are meticulous about what we are doing and opinions that have been expressed by a very large number of our people cannot just be wished away by a handful of people.

“This is a party that has antecedents; it is  a party that believes  in leadership and history. When the leadership of the progressives talks, that is the law. It is bound to be obeyed. Opeyemi should not play God. He has been actively involved since 1999 and has received a huge support from the members of the party in the state.”

Another chieftain of the ACN told our correspondent in confidence that Bamidele, who played a role in Fayemi’s victory, was afraid that he might be too old and out of reckoning by the time the governorship  ticket would swing back to Ekiti Central Senatorial District where he comes from.

If permutations by the ACN work out, the governorship seat will go to Ekiti South after Fayemi’s second term where whoever wins would also want to spend two terms.

He said the lawmaker has been fortunate since the dawn of the new democratic dispensation in 1999. The chieftain urged him to reconsider his plans before venturing into the game. He said that the ACN was still trying to see how the lawmaker  could be brought back to work with Fayemi, in order not to allow the PDP return to power in the state.

He, however, said that the rhythm would change if  Bamidele refused to heed the voice of reconciliation.

He said, “ Bamidele  will be 50 on July 29. His ambition is to an extent borne out of fear that he may become too old by the time (an) opportunity to contest for governorship ticket   would come back to Ekiti Central.

“He will probably be around 65 years  and definitely things would have changed and new leaders would definitely have emerged. But he has forgotten that it is only God that enthrones; you can’t get it if it is not given by God.

 “The leadership of the party will continue to talk to him to come back but if he is adamant, then we will know that he certainly wants to play a spoiler role and we will tell him that we are up to the task.

“We are all politicians and we will give it whatever it takes. The ACN is not ready to lose and  we will work hard. We won’t leave anything to chance.”

While the crisis continues, the PDP is waiting   and praying fervently for  it  to continue   since  it stands to benefit from it.

However, the PDP will also have a herculean task  finding a suitable candidate for the governorship poll.