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The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Abdulwaheed Omar, has declared that the leadership of the congress was in support of the re-election bid of Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State based on his track records and performance in office in the last three and half years.
Omar, who led a delegation of the union’s Central Working Committee (CWC) and several leaders of affiliate unions on a visit to the governor in Ado- Ekiti, also asked stakeholders, including the federal government and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that next Saturday’s election is fair and credible.
According to him, “Fayemi has performed creditably well and deserving of a second term as governor of the state”, adding “We hope that the governor will invite us for a tea party after June 21 election, by the special Grace of God.”
He recalled that Fayemi’s struggle in the labour movement is well known, adding that his excellent performance as Governor of Ekiti State in the last three and a half years did not come as a surprise to the union, hence the need support his second term bid.
“If we choose to identify openly with you, we have very strong reasons to do so”, just as he hailed Fayemi for the peaceful atmosphere that pervade the state, the developmental strides of his administration and the attention paid to welfare of workers.
The NLC president also said that the union leadership had been under intense pressure from external bodies not to endorse Fayemi. He, however, added that the union refused to bow to the pressure, convinced that it was doing the right thing.
He said: “Ekiti is capable of not taking dictation from any quarters. They are going to do justice to the election. We are surprised by a lot of attention regarding our coming here to hold our routine meeting. We don’t see any reason why anyone will interfere with that. Our consolation is that whether or not an election is going to take place, we know and can always identify with people who have identified with the movement."
In his reaction, Fayemi, who hailed the delegation for the sentiments expressed about his administration and the state, promised to continue to meet the yearnings and aspirations of his constituency including labour.
He described the NLC endorsement of his candidature as a challenge to do more for the state and the people.
Meanwhile, as the people of Ekiti State prepare for the governorship election this Saturday, elders of Iyin community in the state have condemned the positions of some indigenes of the town, who are political appointees under Governor Kayode Fayemi for attacking the governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele, over his governorship ambition.
While throwing their support behind Bamidele's ambition, who is also an indigene of Iyin community in Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state, the elders described those against his aspiration as not only selfish, but parochial in their thinking, and have no interest of the community at heart.
Addressing t a press conference yesterday in Iyin-Ekiti, the community elders, who spoke under the aegis of Concerned Iyin Elders, said indigenes of the community see Bamidele as exemplifying and personalising "our pride save those who do not pray for such children in the families."
In his speech delivered on behalf of other Iyin indigenes at the press conference, Chief David Ojo Ogundare further condemned the political appointees who said Bamidele had not contributed to the development of the community in his three years as a member of the House of Representatives.
Political appointees in the state had at a press conference recently attacked Bamidele, who they accused of not contributing to the development to his community, but spent most of the time at the National Assembly to pursue his personal agenda.
However, the elders urged the people to see the utterances of the political office holders as figments of their own imagination, fabricated, concocted and maliciously presented to mislead the generality of Ekiti people.
Besides, they also described former governor of the state, Chief Niyi Adebayo, as being selfish, having been governor of the state following his father, who was also a former governor of old western region, but still had the effrontery to go against the ambition of his fellow brother from the same community.
Describing Adebayo as one who only shares physical likeness with his father, the elders lamented that he had never contributed to the development of the community, even for the building of project of the palace of the oba of the town, the Oluyin of Iyin, Oba Ademola Ajakaye.
“Niyi Adebayo epitomises the concept of greed as he has cornered five juicy appointments from the state government. His son is even the SSA to Governor Fayemi on diaspora matter. His wife, immediate brother, sister are beneficiaries too,” they maintained.
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