No competing alternative to Fayemi, says deputy
THE Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, Prof. Modupe Adelabu, yesterday took a critical look at those jostling for the governorship seat on the platforms of opposition parties and declared that they are not competing alternatives to Governor Kayode Fayemi.
Prof. Adelabu cautioned against the manipulation of the June 21 governorship election in Ekiti State, saying that its integrity would determine Nigeria's future.
A statement by her media aide, Mr. Bunmi Ogunmodede said the deputy governor spoke at the weekend, before a peaceful rally by members of the APC was disrupted by hoodlums sympathetic to the agitation of one of the opposition parties.
The deputy governor urged those plotting to manipulate the electoral process to gauge the pulse of the electorate in the state to avoid embarking on a mission that will be counter-productive.
Mrs. Adelabu said the Fayemi-led administration has concluded plans to embark on value re-orientation as part of ways to eradicate street urchins and thuggery, which she noted have become pastimes among the youths.
According to her, the voters in the state have become sophisticated to be tricked into supporting a candidate that would reverse the progress recorded in the past three and a half years.
She said: "What we need in Ekiti State now is continuity and consolidation on what has been done. All on-going projects must be completed and there must be value re-orientation as concerted effort must be made to eradicate urchins and thuggery among our youths.
"We are providing more opportunities and designing more empowerment programmes that will make more youths gainfully engaged and employed."
The deputy governor said it would amount to an exercise in futility for the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to rely on the federal might to unseat the APC government in the Land of Honour State.
Hers words: "There is no federal might that can be greater than the people's might. The federal government should not even try to manipulate the June 21 election. Our people will cast their ballot and their votes must count.
"The June 21 election will determine the future of this country. So, rigging the process will spell doom for the country. There is no competing alternative to Dr John Kayode Fayemi of the APC among those contesting against him."