The feud between the outgoing Ekiti State
Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, and the Governor-elect, Ayodele Fayose, is
affecting the plans for the October 16 inauguration, it was learnt on
Monday.
On September 15, Fayemi
inaugurated a 19-member transition committee, comprising members from
his administration and those nominated by Fayose.
There
had been counter-accusations between the administration and the Peoples
Democratic Party on the running of government after the June 21
governorship election won by Fayose.
The
head of Fayose’s nominees, Chief Dipo Anisulowo, who was named as
co-chairman of the committee, has expressed concerns over the attitude
of the government’s team.
In an
interview with our correspondent on Monday, Anisulowo said, “We are
leaving in an abnormal time. Transition is supposed to be done by the
two parties but this time around we are just on our own.”
He alleged that the government’s team had been evasive on plans for the inauguration.
He
said, “The outgoing administration is not cooperating with us at all.
The only time we met was the inaugural meeting. Since then, there has
been no meeting.We have written several letters to them to make inquiry
but they are not forthcoming.
“We ask
for the state of account, plans for the inauguration, the logistics and
useful information that will aid our preparation but there has yet to be
any response. What they keep saying is that they will provide
information in the handover note.”
However,
Anisulowo, who was the Director-General of the Ayo Fayose Campaign
Organisation, was optimistic that the inauguration would hold on October
16,
“The inauguration will hold by
the grace of God, it cannot be scuttled. We are communicating with the
Chief Judge, so we are confident the inauguration will hold,” he said.
Despite
the non-cooperation of the outgoing administration, Anisulowo said the
PDP would continue with its own plan no matter what.
“We
would hold a reception in honour of the Governor-elect tomorrow
(Tuesday). He is expected to come to Ado-Ekiti. We would also organise
same for our guests who are coming to town on Wednesday,” he added.
Efforts
to speak with the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Ganiyu
Owolabi, who is the chairman of the transition committee, proved
abortive.
He neither answered his calls nor responded to a text message from our correspondent as of press time.
During
the committee’s inaugural meeting, Owolabi, who stood in for Fayemi,
had declared that the governor would continue to take actions and
decisions till his last day in office.
“There
cannot be a vacuum in governance and it must be known that the present
government has a mandate of four years during which it is expected to
provide leadership without fail,” he said.
