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FALLOUT OF EKITI APC PRIMARY: Tinubu, Oni considering Option B

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FALLOUT OF EKITI APC PRIMARY: Tinubu, Oni considering Option B

That Kayode Fayemi, Nigeria’s incumbent Minister of Solid Minerals Development, defeated Segun Oni, erstwhile governor of Ekiti state to become flagbearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the July governorship election planned for the state, is no longer news.

What is, however, is that the camp of Segun Oni, is considering deeply, an Option B, as a mark of protest over how it was outwitted at the primary by the Fayemi camp said to have the backing of President Muhammadu Buhari and his acolytes in the top echelon of the government.

Oni was a governor of Ekiti state under the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He was removed by the Appeal Court then headed by Justice Ayo Salami, in a judgment which voided his votes in some critical local government areas, and afterwards installed Fayemi as governor.

Fayemi was also defeated by incumbent governor, Ayo Fayose, who returned to take over the state after some years in political limbo following his forced exit in a contrived impeachment.

However, with the 2018 governorship race in sight, Oni had teamed up with the Bola Tinubu camp. He was hoping to ride on Tinubu’s touted hold of the APC structure in the southwest, to return to the office.

From the presidency, Ripples Nigeria gathered that President Buhari’s open congratulation to Fayemi for his victory at the primary election, was an open statement endorsing Fayemi which brooks no dissentions.

It was further learnt that Oni, distraught that despite his spending and assurances of victory by the delegates who were wooed by Tinubu, the Fayemi/presidency camp still had the upper hand, is planning dumping the APC for another party. This much he has alluded to by lamenting over the treatment being meted out to his supporters by the Fayemi camp, which is rubbing their victory in the face of other contestants.

According to insider sources, Oni and Tinubu may be working together to ensure that Fayemi does not return to Ekiti as governor.

To this end, Oni and Tinubu are said to be planning to join forces with Fayose and PDP to ensure that the Presidency does not have its way in Ekiti.

“They are working with Fayose and they believe that Fayose has the ruggedness to outwit Fayemi and the presidency. But they will be embarrassed because what has been planned for Ekiti is a total sweep. The presidency is not losing sleep. They want to pay Fayose back for his unrestrained attacks on the President”, an insider source told Ripples Nigeria.

“They will unleash full powers of the presidency on Ekiti and make sure the state falls for APC. How Fayose will withstand the forces being put together against him is what I do not know for now because the military may be involved”, the source further said.

But a source very close to the Tinubu camp dismissed insinuations that Tinubu may have agreed to work with Oni and Fayose against Fayemi as “one of those talks around here”.

“We have heard so many tales since the last primary election, but we are not interested in joining issues with anyone. I can assure you that what you are hearing is not true”, a source within Tinubu’s camp said.

READ ALSO: 2019: PDP’s presidential pendulum may swing for Gov Tambuwal

However, Ripples Nigeria understands that Tinubu and Fayemi have not been the best of friends. Tinubu was alleged to have played an active role in Fayemi’s loss of the state to Fayose. Our insider source also disclosed that despite seeming public display of angst, Fayose and Tinubu have become the best of friends despite being of different political camps.

Tinubu was also alleged to have made moves to stop Buhari from appointing Fayemi to any ministerial office, an action which it was learnt, has led to joint efforts by some forces within the APC to wrest southwest from Tinubu’s grip in 2019.

“Fayose is now a regular visitor to Bourdillon, Tinubu’s Lagos home. He has made up with Tinubu and has even stated that publicly. Tinubu respects him and sees him as a courageous fighter. So, I will not be surprised if they have agreed to work together to ensure that Fayemi does not get back to the government house”, a source told Ripples Nigeria.

And faced with a possible poor outing in Ekiti state, it was learnt that the Presidency quickly summoned a meeting with Tinubu, Oni and Fayemi alongside other aspirants that contested the APC primary in Ekiti.

Feelers show that focus of the meeting was to find a middle ground that would make the Oni camp drop their threat to work against APC in the July governorship election. The President told the stakeholders that winning Ekiti was critical to the future of APC.

Those who attended the meeting included stakeholders in the southwest APC.

Chief Bisi Akande, a former governor in Osun state, who spoke for the stakeholders assured the president that all party leaders in the southwest will descend on Ekiti to make sure that APC wins on July 14.

But Lere Olayinka, Gov. Fayose’s media aid, wondered why APC would rather than campaigning in Ekiti state, prefer to campaign from the Presidential villa.

He said the action was an indication that the party was relying on federal might to make it successful in the election.

“PDP is already campaigning in Ekiti. APC still campaigning in Aso Rock Villa, relying on Federal might”, Olayinka said.

On his part, Fayose tweeted: “I thank the APC for giving Ekiti people a candidate they love to vote against at all times. Fayemi should not celebrate this Pyrrhic victory yet because it is nothing but a flame that will be quenched on July 14. He should expect to suffer worse defeat compared to that of 2014”.

Oni is yet to issue a formal statement withdrawing his veiled threat to seek another political platform to actualize his dreams.

By Femi Qudus…

 

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