Fayose to dance naked soon as strong force in Ekiti Assembly joins APC, says more PDP lawmakers to follow soon
Former member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP ), Gboyega Aribisogan, has said his defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC ) was to free the Ekiti State House of Assembly from the grip of fear and perpetual intimidation of Governor Ayo Fayose.
Aribisogan, a lawmaker representing Ikole Constituency 1, who has been having a running battle with Governor Fayose, stated this at his defection at Ward 7 in Ikole Local Government Area, Aribisogan.
According to him, more PDP members in the assembly are allegedly willing to defect to, APC in no distant time.
The lawmaker said his defection to APC marks the beginning of the new of the tenure of Fayose in Ekiti State.
He said Fayose has betrayed virtually all PDP members who assisted him to return to powers by paying them with evils.
He hinged his action on the factionalisation and division of the state chapter of the PDP which, according to him, has made his stay in the party “extremely difficult.”
Aribisogan was received into the party by the state APC executive council led by the Deputy Chairman, Mrs. Kemisola Olaleye.
He vowed to ensure that “all efforts to silence the opposition voice from Ekiti political space is resisted” because democracy allows for objective criticisms and separation of powers which is the principle of the rule of law.
Aribisogan said he took the decision to join APC after due consultation with his constituents and pursuant to Section 109, sub-section 1(g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999.
The state chapter of the PDP is polarised into two factions. The faction loyal to the National Chairman, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, is chaired by Williams Ajayi while the other faction loyal to the National Caretaker Committee Chairman, Senator Ahmed Makarfi which enjoys Fayose’s support is chaired by Gboyega Oguntuase.
The legislator was suspended by his colleagues for 180 legislative days on October 6 last year for allegedly holding meetings with the Senator representing Ogun East in the National Assembly, Buruji Kashamu, and others perceived to be “political enemies” of Fayose. But Aribisogan denied the allegation.
The Oguntuase-led faction last week raised a five-man disciplinary panel to try Aribisogan but the lawmaker shunned the sitting of the panel claiming that the panelists have been commissioned to do a hatchet job.
Aribisogan said he joined the APC because the party has shown to Nigerians that it is
capable of allowing freedom of speech, god governance and protection of collective interest of all Nigerians.
“Democracy is all about good governance, service delivery, community and state interest. A situation where a political party like PDP is dangling precariously between survival and extinction could no longer provide enabling political environment to good governance and political engineering.
“Therefore, as a representative of my people, I have no option than to go along with them by moving to a party that will continue to protect their collective interest.
“I want to assure my supporters and my new political party of my absolute commitment and loyalty in pursuance of the party’s set objectives and goals. I pledge to be a true party man who will join hands with the progressives to remove he albatross called PDP from Ekiti State political space in the coming days.”
