Former Minister of Works and National Chairman, Southwest Agenda for Tinubu (SWAGA) Senator Dayo Adeyeye has said that 16 All Progressives Congress (APC) Governors are solidly supporting the presidential aspiration of ex- Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
Adeyeye, who disclosed this in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital on Thursday while inaugurating the parallel APC ward and local executives, said that the Governors have a keen interest in the actualisation of Tinubu’s presidential bid.
He explained they were queuing behind the APC stalwart because of his administrative acumen, mental capacity, rare leadership quality and unequalled political structures which cut across the six geo-political zones.
The former Minister noted that the Office of President was too important to be given to a political Lilliputian without structure, adding that Tinubu is perfectly suitable for the plum position by all standards.
“Asiwaju Bola Tinubu will be the next President of this country and one of us will become the Governor in Ekiti State. I am happy that the new executives have passion for this group and this will lead to action and eventually victory for all of us.
“APC leaders and members across board are using their personal money to fund SWAGA. Members are not after money. Let me tell you this, 16 governors are now backing Tinubu for president and they are no longer afraid after Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State openly supported us when we did the flag off in Lagos,” he said.
Speaking on the parallel executives, the APC chieftain said its congresses were authentic, describing the Paul Omotoso-led executives elected by a group loyal to Governor Kayode Fayemi on Saturday as mere impostors.
“Those that were inaugurated today are the authentic APC executives in Ekiti. The party at the national level brought out a guideline that people should come out and queue to vote for the ward and local government congresses but their people didn’t come out. They were inside a room concocting names under the guise of consensus.
“But SWAGA members filed out. We have the video clip that we will present. What they did on Saturday, October 16 was a nullity and a complete waste of time. We knew what we did for Fayemi to win in 2018. He couldn’t have won on his own because he has no popularity.
“I know that they can’t buy you with money, you are for SWAGA. This government has finished, don’t let them deceive you with positions. Only the Fayemi’s Tokantokan group is enjoying the dividends of what we did, others are sidelined. It is now shop alone, die alone.
“Even many of those with appointments are aggrieved. Many will shock them during the governorship primary. We are now using direct primary. They can no longer sleep because the party now wants direct primary, owing to the fact that they are not popular,” he said.
But reacting to the parallel congresses, Ekiti APC Publicity Secretary belonging to Fayemi’s group, Segun Dipe, described the inauguration as a mere jamboree and complete exercise in futility.
Dipe insisted the Paul Omotoso-led State Working Committee remained the authentic executives as it enjoys the support of the APC National Secretariat.
“I think they are just entertaining themselves. When you got there did you see the representative of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) or the representative of our party from Abuja?
“It is quite unfortunate that Adeyeye as a lawyer and he knows what is right. I think he is just trying to create a semblance of protest or resistance to a very peaceful and credible Congress that took place last Saturday.
“It is very unfortunate that somebody of Adeyeye stature can embark on a jamboree. I think they are just making noise. I don’t think they mean what they have done. Maybe they are just playing to the gallery. They are free to gather but their gathering has no blessing from the party,” he said.
(Nation)
