By our reporter
Members of Ekiti-Kete APC Youths Frontier (EYF), a youth-based political umbrella body of eminent Ekiti sons and daughters in All Progressives Congress ( APC) have rejected the nomination of Makinde Araoye, as a member of the presidential inauguration committee of the president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The group in a statement signed by its President, Prince Bayo Ajayi and Secretary, Engr. Famuyiwa Ige said the nomination of the former governorship aspirant was done in bad faith.
It said that the position was reached by its members following an emergency meeting held on Friday, in Ado Ekiti on the matter.
Recall that Araoye made the list of the fourteen nominees announced on Thursday ahead of the May 29 inauguration of the President-elect.
The group accused Araoye of working against Tinubu’s presidential ambition and not being openly involved in the campaign.
The former Special Adviser to former governor Kayode Fayemi on Federal Matters, was also accused of not deserving of the nomination having not added any value to youth development in Ekiti State.
Makinde, according to media reports will work in the Venue, Parade and Swearing-in Subcommittee of the event.
“The nominee is not recognized by us and as such can’t represent Ekiti youth population in such a sensitive committee.
“And neither has he at any point contributed anything meaningful to the development of Ekiti youths and we challenge him to come forward with proofs to the contrary.
“The nominee was a known arch-antagonist of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu before and during the campaign as clearly instructed by former Governor Kayode Fayemi, his boss who he served as Special Adviser on Federal Matters until recently.
“The nominee at no time during the stretch of the presidential campaign came out to openly make pro-Tinubu statements or contributions on his behalf either in Ekiti or his Ilawe Ekiti hometown. If he has any evidence of videos or audiovisual tapes of meetings he held with Ekiti youths during the campaign to promote Asiwaju’s candidature; he should bring them forward without further delay,” it said.
The group alleged further that Araoye was part of the close aides of Fayemi who used the instrumentality of state government to clamp down on the earliest Tinubu supporters in Ekiti, such as the innocent SWAGA members.
It said that the members were humiliated and suspended from APC simply because they expressed their support for the President-elect ahead of the presidential primary election.
“Araoye in his four years in office as Special Adviser to Fayemi on Federal Matters while his former boss was serving as Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum couldn’t attract a single federal project to Ekiti. It is on record that this is so despite that the nominee was one of the youngest political appointees of all time in Ekiti.
“Araoye’s nomination into such a critical committee is likened to robbing Peter to pay Paul and a slap on the collective intelligence of Ekiti youths who worked day and night to ensure the victory of the President-elect in their respective domains.
“For the avoidance of doubts, those saddled with the responsibilities of drafting names for appointments and sundry national assignments should know that Ekiti parades an array of credible and committed youths who can represent the state in various capacities instead of settling for those who want to reap where they did not sow and hustlers of name dropping.
“He is a political godson of both Niyi Adebayo and Kayode Fayemi who have not hidden their disdain against Tinubu at any given opportunity, and as such his consideration for further national responsibilities will amount to a serious political risk.
“Henceforth, background checks and due diligence must be carried out on future nominees from Ekiti through the genuine leaders of constituted Tinubu campaign chapter in the state for adequate knowledge of such persons and their characters,” it said.
It therefore called on the national secretariat of APC and the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) to note its displeasure over this matter as an official letter of complaint will be submitted to them at a later date.
