Wole Oluyede, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate in Ekiti State has faulted ex-governor Ayodele Fayose for endorsing Governor Biodun Oyebanji, saying that the governor’s performance does not warrant such support.
Oluyede spoke during an interactive session with journalists in Ado-Ekiti, where he dismissed suggestions that Fayose’s political weight would have a huge impact on the outcome of the forthcoming governorship election.
While acknowledging Fayose’s right to support any candidate of his choice, the PDP chieftain said the former governor has made the wrong political judgment by throwing his weight behind the incumbent administration.
Endorsements should be based on “measurable achievements and governance outcomes,” he said, adding that the current administration has “failed to deliver” in key areas, especially security and infrastructure.
“Fayose is my respected elder and as such is entitled to support anyone. We have no personal problems. But in my opinion he has made the wrong decision supporting this government,” Oluyede said.
He expressed surprise that Fayose would support the administration in spite of what he described as glaring governance deficiencies.
He said the bar for judging government performance should be much higher, and that the endorsement raises questions about the standards being applied to assess the administration.
“I am disappointed because it indicates that the bar for endorsing a government has been set very low. “If you look at the realities on the ground, especially security and public service delivery, there is little basis for such an endorsement,” he told the Daily Maverick.
Oluyede, however, ruled out any confrontation with the former governor on his political stance, saying Fayose is entitled to his convictions just as others are entitled to theirs.
He added that the upcoming governorship election would be decided by the people of Ekiti State and not by the endorsement of political leaders.
The people will decide. Endorsements and talking points aren’t going to win this election. The Ekiti people are intelligent and they will judge those seeking their mandate on their performance,” he said.
He also used the opportunity to express concerns about the security situation in the state, claiming that many residents now live in fear as a result of the increasing criminal activities.
He castigated what he called poor response of government to security challenges, poor state of police facilities and lack of modern security infrastructure to effectively tackle crimes.
If citizens are afraid to move freely or attend social and community functions, no government can claim success, he says.
Oluyede also queried the utilisation of security votes allocated to the state, insisting that there is need for greater transparency and accountability in the handling of public resources devoted to security.
In the country’s political sphere, he re-affirmed his support for President Bola Tinubu, explaining that his support for the President predates current political affiliations and is based on his belief that Tinubu is still the best person to lead Nigeria at this time.
He said he supported Tinubu’s presidential ambition before joining the APC on grounds of conviction and not political expediency.
While acknowledging the economic and governance challenges confronting the country, Oluyede, however, maintained that the President’s efforts would make more impact if state governments effectively translated available resources into improved security, infrastructure and public services for citizens.
