Group Cries out Over Threat on Life of Ekiti Female Candidate

 

An attempt to hijack the electoral victory and threat to life of Hon Titilayo Owolabi Akerele, senatorial candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) from Ekiti North Senatorial zone, has drawn the ire of the Media for Ethnic and Gender Equality (MEGE), with a warning for seize fire.

MEGE in a statement after an emergency meeting in Ekiti State capital, Ado, Wednesday, said there is a ‘vindictive attempt’ by one Akinloye Oladele Aiyegbusi, to upturn in his favour, the electoral victory of Mrs Akerele in the last senatorial primaries of the SDP in the zone, using the State Secretary, David Oludele Bankole, to circumvent justice.

The group said it is averse to the “obscene name-throwing by some elements in the State’s SDP and called for an abrupt stop-action.  

According to the Executive Director of MEGE, Comrade Adegboyega Adeoye, trouble started when the name of Mrs Titilayo Akerele developed wings on way to present winners in the senatorial primaries at the party’s headquarters, Abuja by Bankole and was replaced with Aiyegbusi’s on unfounded reasons

Sequel to the manipulations, MEGE learnt that Mrs Akerele approached the court to seek redress as the clear winner for the senatorial contest after the popular primary.

“We are miffed that as the hearing in the case is being fixed to commence Thursday, November 17, 2022, Akinloye Oladele Aiyegbusi, in cahoots with Bankole, Adebayo Morakinyo, Hon Segun Adewumi and one Tayo Ojo Ajimoko, have chosen to go violent, threatening to take the life of trade unionist, gender activist and politician, Comrade Titilayo Akerele, in desperate bid to strip her of the clear victory she had over six other contestants in her primary contest.

“Having gotten to their wits end, they lured Mrs Akerele to a meeting with the gubernatorial torchbearer of the party and Leader, Chief Segun Oni, where they attempted to arm-twist him to railroading Aiyegbusi’s name and coerce the lady politician to drop the court case or face the music. But we are grateful that their request met brick walls with the leader, who turned down their request and thus leading to raining of threat on the life of our compatriot by the dissidents.

“It is on this note that we are sending stern warning to the desperate ones to shield their swords and submit themselves to whatever would be the outcome of the pending suit, which has been filed and will never be negated. We promise to resist, with unprecedented civil action, ever to be seen in Ekiti, should this brigandage persists,” Adeoye said.

“We will like to remind those planning to impose a rejected candidate on our people that the chain of events that led to electoral failures on our land is in attempting to force unpopular candidates on the electorates who have the final say in popular democracy. We are pleading that they should not allow such history repeat itself,”

The group alleged that the Ekiti SDP Secretary is currently parading a list “which is totally different from the one reflecting the full list of the aspirants that came top in the last party primary. Such a list, according to Adeoye, “will be resisted with every legitimate and legal means.”

“We again plead that the SDP should put its house in order, present a credible candidate and rescue our state. For the umpteenth time, no party will win by imposition in Ekiti. A candidate who is already seen as being unpopular with the people, an album of photo opportunities, notwithstanding, will not fool our people this time.

“Lastly, Nigeria is already tension-soaked, we would like to admonish Leaders in SDP not to cause another conflagration. We advise those behind this plot to stop and study Ekiti people's political history and their history of resistance to injustice which dates back to the 18th century,” Adeoye stressed.