Priscilla Ofunre, Ado-Ekiti
Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, on Wednesday, said that his victory at the Supreme Court in the eligibility suit filed by a former governor of the state, Chief Segun Oni, would afford the state to move forward and end all contentions about his emergence.
The governor said the apex court’s judgment showed that he resigned in line with the constitutional provision and that the primaries of the party which produced him as All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Ekiti State in 2018 was free, fair and credible.
Governor Fayemi, who spoke, in Ado-Ekiti, during the swearing in of the Head of Service (HoS), Mr. Ayodeji Ajayi, shortly after the Supreme Court, in Abuja, dismissed Oni’s appeal against his emergence said, “Ekiti must move forward. Enough of these distractions. Enough of these recriminations over matters that ought not go to court”.
“It is very clear that I resigned in accordance with the constitution of the land and that the shenanigans that culminated in the White Paper that said Fayemi should not serve in public office have been dealt with in the appropriate law courts as the thrash that it was at the time”
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“It also shows clearly that the primaries that took place in Ekiti for anyone who is objective enough, the cleanest, the fairest and most credible primaries that ever has taken place in the history of electioneering in Nigeria”.
Fayemi, who said Oni was right to have gone to court since he felt strongly about a position said, “Now that the highest court in the land has pronounced definitely on it, I hope he would see it as a cue to play a more active role in the party.
“Oni, to the best of my knowledge, remains a member of the APC. I don’t believe he has elected to remove himself from the party. But I think this would not lead to another round of recriminations and attacks,” Governor Fayemi said.
The governor charged the new HoS to be upright and provide right leadership for the civil service saying, “We will not tolerate any breach of the accord we have signed with Ekiti people. Do your best, justify the confidence reposed in you”.
In his response, the new Hos, Ajayi, who promised to provide strong leadership for the civil service added, “I will implement and develop the ideals of the service”.
He said: “This is an epoch occasion. Epoch-making in the sense that somebody who has been literally condemned is now a king,” in reference to how he was vilified by the immediate past administration.
