PDP, APC bicker over Oyebanji’s ‘Man of the Year’ award in Ekiti

The opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have disagreed over the recent award of the Man of the Year to the Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, by Silverbird Television.

The chairman of the caretaker committee of the PDP in the state, Chief Dare Adeleke, said that Governor Oyebanji, in the last two years of his administration, has failed the people of the state across major sectors of governance.

Adeleke, who queried the criteria used in arriving at the decision, said the administration has not provided the needed dividends of democracy to the people, noting that the poverty index of the state is troubling.

The PDP chairman said, “Go to the streets of Ekiti and see the decaying condition of infrastructure and the poor lifestyle of the people. The roads are all bad, and there is such disregard for the dividends of democracy that poverty is like a shadow following people around.

“You wonder what the criteria were for picking Oyebanji as Man of the Year. Is it that they picked the winner from the bottom?

“On security, he scores zero. Kidnapping is still rampant in Ekiti. We must not forget how many lives have been lost in that state due to insecurity.

“We have His Excellency Engr. Seyi Makinde, whose developmental scorecard is colossal. We have Ademola Adeleke, who has done excellently in Osun, and without being partisan, Sanwo-Olu is doing well in Lagos. How come the worst of them becomes ‘Man of the Year’?”

However, speaking with Tribune Online, the publicity secretary, Segun Dipe, said the reaction from the opposition party was misplaced, adding that the governor has performed credibly well at improving the lives of the people in the state.

The APC spokesman noted that the media organisation that picked the governor as the Man of the Year has done the right thing, “considering the achievements of the governor in Ekiti in about two years in office.”

Dipe stated that the opposition party is nonexistent in the state, adding that all recognised leaders and stakeholders in the party have endorsed the unique and inclusive leadership style of Governor Oyebanji.

According to him, “The facts are there, and he (Governor Oyebanji) deserves it by the standard brought up by Silverbird and the standard of Ekiti. If Silverbird is right, the governor cannot be wrong. They should rather face the media organisation, not the governor.

“And talking about PDP, who are the people in the party in Ekiti State? We should know those who are talking because the PDP is in a state of coma, they are in ICU and nonexistent in the state, and how could a party that doesn’t exist come out to say Governor Oyebanji didn’t deserve to be picked as Man of the Year?

“Don’t forget that all known leaders of the PDP in the state have given their nod for the governor; they are behind and beside the governor. So, anyone talking in Ekiti PDP, their voices don’t count anymore.”

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