Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State as the State Chairman of
the party, Chief Jide Awe and the Publicity Secretary, Chief Taiwo
Olatubosun are said to be at loggerheads.
Jide Awe, who has gone underground to escape arrest and trial for
alleged murder is said to be unhappy that Olatubosun has taken over
his functions as the State chiarman, and that the party spokesperson
was scheming to edge him out and take over his position.
Jide Awe is wanted by the police over his alleged involvement in the
March 2013 murder of Ayo Murphy Jeje and Mrs Juliana Adewumi in
Erijiyan Ekiti.
According to an inside source, the embattled Chairman, Jide Awe, is
accusing Olatubosun of scheming to be the new chairman of the party.
Olatubosun is also being accused of using his position as the party
spokesperson to enrich himself alone. Himself and two others were said
to have made millions of naira as members of committees that conducted
the APC primaries in some Northern States last year.
He is said to be banking on his closeness to the party’s Deputy
National Chairman (South), Engr Segun Oni to take over the structure
of the party, so as to pave way for the emergence of Hon. Femi
Bamisile (Bafem) as the party’s governorship candidate in 2018.
The APC spokesperson is said to have been tipped as running mate to
Bamisile, even as some believe that he (Olatubosun) was playing double
game by seeking truce with Governor Ayodele Fayose and at the same
time working for the emergence of Bamisile as the party governorship
candidate.
“I am aware that Olatunbosun has collated the attendance of the
meetings which the chairman couldn’t attend for one reason or the
other, and has started working on the lists as a weapon to fight his
battle to edge out the chairman.
“Anyway, let me tell all those who care to know the truth in our dear
party that, Olatubosun, Segun Oni, Bafem and others, can neither
dislodge our chairman nor take up the structure of APC in Ekiti
State,” a source who is an ally of Jide Awe said.
Describing as self-aggrandizement, another loyalist of Jide Awe and
former Governor Kayode Fayemi accused Olatubosun of attributing every
publication on behalf of the party to himself; the situation which has
naturally denoted that the party lacked leadership in the faces of the
right thinking Ekiti people.
He said; “Honestly, I have endured the excesses of Olatubosun for
long, and I thought the situation won’t degenerate to this level of
giving it publicity.
“Olatubosun is doing his job correctly and as expected of him. But the
truth must be told, he should give the chairman and other leaders of
the party the deserved respect and stop behaving as if he owns the
party.”