THE national leadership of Accord has announced the suspension of the state executive council of the party in Ekiti State, six days to the governorship election, and also sanctioned the leader of the party in the state, Akogun Banji Ojo for alleged anti-party activities.
In a letter dated 6th July 2018 and addressed to the National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmoud Yakubu, the party also announced the setting up of a seven-man interim committee, led by Dr. S.O. Ogunniyi, to pilot affairs of the party in the state.
The letter, which announced the suspension of the chairman of the party in the state, Chief Abiola Odebola, and his executive was signed by the National Chairman of the party, Muhammad Nalado and Secretary, Dr. Adebukola Abiola-Ajaja.
The accused the suspended Ekiti party executive of allegedly displaying overt support for the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the July 14governorship election, Professor Kolapo Olubunmi Olusola, and also slammed its former governorship aspirant, Akogun Banjo Ojo, also for alleged anti-party activities.
The Accord leaders were reacting to a recent endorsement of Professor Olusola by the leadership of the party in the state, an action which the candidate of the party, Chief Abiodun Aluko, rejected on the grounds that it was not one taken by the entire leadership of Accord in the state.
Chief Odeoba and Akogun Ojo had, on Thursday, led the entire state exco of the party to the mega rally by the PDP in Ado Ekiti and openly declared support for Olusola.
Addressing the party members in Ado Ekiti on Sunday reaffirming the party’s commitment to Aluko’s candidacy and his running mate, the trio of Nalado, Ajaja and the Southwest Vice Chairman of the party, Chief Samuel Babarinde, denied ever entering into any merger or alliance deal with the PDP.
Nalado, who was represented by the National Deputy Chairman (North), Alhaji Yusuf Saulawa, said: “Surveyor Aluko remains our candidate having met all the criteria. Those who thought they could trade with our ticket will be disappointed in the end.
“The action displayed by these politicians was unethical. It surprised us that they could turn our ticket into a business venture just to make money.
“Surveyor Aluko collected nomination form, he paid N3 million and he has been spending to galvanise support for the party, so at no time did we abandon him, he remains our candidate and nothing has changed.
“Time has come Ekiti people to embrace Accord, because Dr. Kayode Fayemi and the present governor, Ayodele Fayose have disappointed the people.
They must embrace change and when I say change, I am not referring to the kind of bad change APC brought to our people.”
The National Secretary of the party, Dr Ajaja, said the punitive action didn’t connote outright expulsion of the erring members, saying the party is ready to reabsorb them if they retrace their steps and show enough penitence.
In his response, the candidate of the party, Surveyor Aluko, stated that at no time did the party take the decision to back the candidate of the PDP.
“The open support for PDP was taken by Chief Odeoba and Banji Ojo and this amounted to anti-party activity. So, the punitive action was well deserved and was taken to save our party.”
Meanwhile, a coalition of 14 political parties under the aegis of Credible Alternative Alliance (CAA), led by a prominent politician and former Kaduna State Governor, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, had endorsed the candidate of Accord, Surveyor Abiodun Aluko for the Saturday’s governorship election.
CAA, in a letter signed by Ekiti Coordinator, Patrick Akindulu, said they took the action based on Aluko’s track records of integrity, he said the political organization stands for and venerated so well.