The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has dismissed claims that former Governor Kayode Fayemi is plotting to destabilise the party or lure members away through a secret stakeholders’ meeting.
The party’s State Publicity Secretary, Segun Dipe, in a statement on Sunday, dismissed the report in circulation, stating that it was a fabrication by rumour peddlers bent on creating internal strife.
“We are not perturbed. We are now in a season of propaganda, characterised by spewing of lies and telling half-truths to confuse the people.
“Any busybody who yearns to know what is happening in our party is free to contact me as the spokesperson of the party and they would be reliably informed, rather than looking for gutter gists,” Dipo said.
The report had claimed that Ekiti Governor, Biodun Oyebanji and APC leaders were opposed to a purported meeting allegedly being called by Fayemi to send a signal to his African Democratic Congress (ADC) cohorts that he is on ground.
But Dipe dismissed the claim as baseless.
”I wonder how such would happen in our party that is strong on ground and focused on winning the coming gubernatorial election, thus breaking the record of producing a governor that will run two terms back to back in the state.
“Anything to the contrary is not emanating from within our party but being manufactured by some external forces,” he said.
He warned those behind the rumours, saying, “We know that we are the only formidable political party in our state and the country as of today, so people would be looking for ways to crack us up, so they can enter and cause confusion.
“We are also not unmindful of the enemies within who are looking for opportunities to create and feast on crisis.
“We call them crisis merchants, but they won’t succeed by an inch.”
Dipe reaffirmed that all stakeholders, including Fayemi, were united in their support for Oyebanji’s re-election.
“One good turn deserves another. Being the incumbent, Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji has impressed both the party and the electorate enough to deserve a second term.
“This is the position of all stakeholders in our party, ex-Gov Fayemi inclusive.
“And if there is any meeting of party faithful he, Fayemi, is calling, it is towards realisation of this our objective. Nothing more,” he added.
Dipe clarified that Fayemi is capable of convening a meeting for any reason.
He added, “Why not? He is a strong pillar of our party in Ekiti State and he will not allow the house he laboured so much to build to collapse.
“All his intentions are geared towards giving our party a good footing in the state.”
On whether the party supported the ongoing endorsements of President Bola Tinubu and Oyebanji by various groups in the state, he said, “We might not be, but we have no reason to discourage it, in the interest of consolidating our hold on governance.
“We are not gamblers, we are a focused party.”
Dipe concluded with a warning to those peddling falsehoods about the party.
“Busy bodies and meddlesome interlopers can’t sway our party, APC, from the direction it has faced in ensuring that we win back-to-back both the governorship and presidential election underway.
“We are not worried about what other lesser parties are doing.
“Rather, we are focused on what we are doing to avoid any form of derailment,” the spokesperson concluded.
