Tinubu SWAGA: Ojudu, Fayemi clash over sack of Ekiti APC Chairman

Emmanuel AmudaMay 4, 2021

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The Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Political Matters, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, has attacked the Ekiti State governor, Kayode Fayemi over the removal of chairman Ado Ward 8 of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Clement Afolabi.

Afolabi was removed as a ward chairman for identifying with the South West Agenda (SWAGA) a group within the APC mobilising support for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

Newsflash Nigeria had reported last month that the Ado Ekiti Local Government Area chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Ekiti State, had commenced the process of suspending the caretaker chairman of Ado Ward 8, Mr. Clement Afolabi, over alleged affiliation with a pro-Ahmed Tinubu campaign group, the South West Agenda (SWAGA).

The Special Adviser to the President, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, hails from the ward.

Afolabi, was invited to face a disciplinary panel via a letter signed by the local government caretaker secretary of APC, Mr Temitope Oluwasola.

The letter was titled, ‘Your Political Anti-Party Activities and the need to Defend Yourself,’ dated April 27th, 2021, it was addressed to the ward chairman.

The letter of invitation read in part, “Your anti-party activities have come to our notice and attention by your ward.

“These include blackmail against the party and the state government, failure to attend meetings of the party, division of ward EXCO members into factions, as well as your confessional statement as a coordinator/chairman of an unauthorised group in Ado local government.”

Meanwhile, Ojudu, kicked against the sack of his Ado Ward 8 chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Clement Afolabi.

Ojudu, who described Afolabi’s removal as illegal and unacceptable, said it was an assault on the right to freedom of association as stipulated in the 1999 constitution as amended.

The party in Ado Council Area last week summoned the ward chairman to appear before a disciplinary committee set up to investigate alleged anti-party activities levelled against him.

Afolabi was accused of blackmailing the Governor Kayode Fayemi’s government and declaring himself as coordinator of an unauthorised group within the party.

Speaking with journalists in Ado-Ekiti on Tuesday Ojudu wondered why the party would remove its ward chairman for identifying with the South West Agenda (SWAGA) a group within APC mobilising support for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

He said Afolabi has not committed any infraction within the confine of the party’s legal framework, describing the action “as an act of dictatorship in a democracy”.

Ojudu stated efforts are ongoing to file litigation to challenge the removal of the ward chairman, cautioning Fayemi not to allow transient power intoxicate him.

He said: “How could you sanction a party man for identifying with the ambition of a member of his party? This fellow is a member of our party and he chose to go with Tinubu.

“What is wrong with that? What intolerance? This is a dictatorship and not a democracy.

“We shall assist this individual to fight this assault on his right to the highest court in the land. I am shocked that this is happening under the watch of Dr Kayode Fayemi.

“He should realise that though he is in power today he will not be there tomorrow. I am really peeved. You are sacking a guy for identifying with Tinubu?

“It is a shock and I just couldn’t understand while you and our party in the state should go this low”.