TheCable

Segun Oni’s campaign organisation says its members have been ostracised since their principal lost to Kayode Fayemi in the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary in Ekiti.

Oni who came second in the primary had directed his supporters to back Fayemi and ensure victory for the party in the July 14 poll.

But his supporters have accused the Fayemi campaign of non-inclusiveness, maltreatment, and marginalisation.

In a communiqué released after a meeting in Ado-Ekiti on Friday, the group said the party flagbearer’s camp has demonstrated “open hatred for Segun Oni and his group”.

“The insinuation for all these started before the primary when it was reported that the main reason while Dr. Fayemi joined the race was to prevent a “stranger” like Segun Oni from taking over the APC. Their gospel belief is that Chief Segun Oni, the former Deputy National Chairman (South) for APC is a PDP member who is a stranger to the APC,” the communiqué signed by Ife Arowosoge, director of the organisation, read.

The group said all efforts by Oni and his camp to make Fayemi’s campaign organisation treat them as a united political family has proved abortive.

“It has become more worrisome in that the Fayemi group has continued its acts of marginalization, maltreatment, harassment and intimidation of our members at our party rallies,” the communique read.

“Rather than seeing and treating Segun Oni and his group as partners in the quest for a resounding victory for our great party, APC in the July 14 governorship election in Ekiti, the JKFCO has been nursing the fleeting illusion that they could do it without the Segun Oni and his group who shall therefore be put in the cooler for the four-year tenure of Fayemi.”

The group said it has it on good authority that all the incoming elective positions have been allocated to Fayemi’s cronies and the new joiners without recourse to Oni and his supporters.

Oni had allegedly filed a suit to challenge the legality of Fayemi’s candidacy.

Giving a nod to the development, his group said “we unanimously resolved to support the fore-sighted legal action instituted by the Segun Oni group as this will not only prevent the party from not being part of the governorship election but very importantly strengthens the rule of law and our democracy in Nigeria. Also, the legal action will defend our rights, privileges and interests within the party”.

The main purpose of the court action, the group said, is to rescue the party at the state level.

Bola Tinubu, Bisi Akande, prominent APC chieftains, on Friday announced their support for Fayemi, calling on Oni to dissociate himself from the court action.