Why We Sued Fayemi Over APC Candidacy – Segun Oni’s Group

Agency ReporterJuly 2, 2018

1 2 minutes read

The campaign organisation of a former governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress in Ekiti State, Chief Segun Oni, has defended the suit filed against the candidature of Dr. Kayode Fayemi.

It alleged that their members had been sidelined in the activities of the party since the emergence of Fayemi as the governorship candidate.

The Segun Oni Campaign Organisation stated this in a communiqué issued by its Director General, Dr. Ife Arowosoge, at the end of a meeting of campaign council chairmen, secretaries and notable leaders at its situation room in Ado Ekiti.

“To our greatest surprise, the John Kayode Fayemi Campaign Organisation has since from outset adopted the attitude of non-inclusiveness, ostracisation, marginalisation, and demonstration of open hatred for Segun Oni and his group.

“That all efforts by Segun Oni and his group in all the 16 local government areas of Ekiti State to make Fayemi and his group treat us as one united political family have proved abortive. It has become more worrisome in that the Fayemi group has continued its acts of marginalisation, maltreatment, harassment and intimidation of our members at our party rallies. For instance, one of our members was recently seriously beaten and injured with a machete at the Ikole Ekiti rally merely for being at the rally.”

SOCO boasted that its group had the highest concentration of former political office holders in Ekiti State including Oni, former Senators, former House of Representatives members, former Speakers, members of state Houses of Assembly and other high ranking office holders.

“Yet, they are not recognised by the Fayemi group. Now, they have taken the newly defected PDP leader and his followers as a preferred and perfect substitute to Segun Oni and his group,” it added.

Arowosoge said rather than the outrage the suit had attracted, the court case was in the interest of the APC in the state.

“We are aware of the recent case pending before the High Court of Ekiti State instituted by the government of Ekiti State against the candidate of our party, Dr. John Kayode Fayemi, for the purpose of disqualifying him from contesting the forth-coming election slated for July 14, 2018, thereby rendering our party incapable of presenting a 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.

“That it is on this note we unanimously resolved to support the 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. Also, the legal action will defend our rights, privileges, and interests within the party.

“That the concerned and informed APC members should endeavour to educate our teeming supporters and members of the public that the main purpose of the court action by the Segun Oni group is to rescue our party particularly at the state level, should the Ekiti State government’s case be decided against our candidate at any time. And also to protect the best interest of the members of the group and the greatest interest of the greatest number of Ekiti people.”

“We urge our principal, Chief Segun Oni, and other leaders and members of the group not to chicken-out because of any intimidation, manipulation, oppression, harassment and or any pressure from any quarters and thereby back out of the court case under any pretext, real or imagined.”