Says "APC can be liken to an armed robber coming out in a Reverend Father’s cassocks
During the 32nd Edition of Usi Day that was held on Saturday, 3rd August 2013 at Usi-Ekiti, the Alarinka Agbaye Travel and Tourism Magazine Crew of Remi Oladoye and Jide Adurosakin got up close to Barrister Kole Ajayi, the Accord Party Gubernatorial Candidate in Ekiti State. Enjoy the full interview.
Alarinka Agbaye: Can you introduce yourself?
Kole Ajayi: I am Barrister Kole Ajayi, the gubernatorial candidate of Accord Party in Ekiti State.
Alarinka Agbaye: You said you are a candidate, are you the only one?
Kole Ajayi: Yes, I have been adopted. I am the only one.
Alarinka Agbaye: Have you been adopted?
Kole Ajayi: Yes, by the party and it is incontrovertible as we are speaking.
Alarinka Agbaye: Accord Party is new in Ekiti, how do you want to do it?
Kole Ajayi: Well, the Party is already on ground, new or not new. When Mimiko took the Labour Party to Ondo state he had a success of it. With God, all things are possible.
Alarinka Agbaye: What gives you the impression that people are going to support your Party in the 2014 elections?
Kole Ajayi: Well, everything is playing out naturally. Ekiti people are tired of both platforms. ACN has tried, you know it was AD that changed into ACN, they have been tried twice. PDP too has been tried twice and now people are tired of those platforms. Now that both platforms are in deep irreconcilable crises within each of them so when you now look at it the people need an alternative. Ekiti people needs a Third Force. Moreover, my person is home based and Ekiti wants an home based person. If you go through my profile I have all that it takes. I have paid my dues in Ekiti system.
Alarinka Agbaye: You said home grown, that has been your slogan for a while. But people believe they need somebody with international and national experience. Do you also fit into that category?
Kole Ajayi: I don’t understand what you mean by National experience but if you go through my profile I have more experience than any Governor that has ever served Ekiti. I was a National President of my alumni association and a Member of the Governing Council with reputable men in the Nigerian society, persons like Chief wole Olanipekun, Chief Eperokun ,Architect Fola Alade and a lot of them and so apart from that I was a member of Ekiti State Advisory Committee at a time. I also headed Ekiti progressive Forum and organized Ekiti Day for 2004 and 2005. At a time I was also the Public Relations Officer for the Conference of Alumni Associations of Nigerian Universities and when you look at it I had my First Degree in Sciences in 1987, 18 years after I went back to the Secondary School to write Literature-in-English which enabled me to enter for a Law programme and as I am speaking with you by the Grace of God I have been called to the Nigerian Bar in 2011 and when you look at it I will be the most read Governor in the history of Ekiti because I have 2 different Degrees in two extremes of human endeavours. So just to mention a few, when Adebayo came we all saw his profile, a quarter of a page and when Fayose came half of a page. When Oni came in his profile was bare best and there was nothing domestic about what he has done, he has not really contributed anything to Ekiti development of course he was in Kenya. But when Fayemi came he flaunted a lot of things: Consultant Massachusetts, Consultant this; Consultant that, to the United Nations but of course nothing domestic. So if you look at my profile like I have stated you will know I have gained a lot of experience within the terrain and I have contributed immensely to the development of Ekiti and to my Community because presently I am the Chief Spokesman and the National PRO of Ado Ekiti Progressive Union.
Alarinka Agbaye: Elections are few months away now, how prepared are you for the elections?
Kole Ajayi: Of course we are fully prepared. We are even the best prepared Party because we are already fully in town while other Parties are busy battling withj domestic crises here and there.
Alarinka Agbaye: How acceptable is Accord Party?
Kole Ajayi: Of course Accord Party is acceptable everywhere, we are close to the grassroots. Ekiti people are tired of both Parties. The acceptability is encouraging, we have been talking to various Unions and Associations and the feedback is encouraging. You see, in Ekiti, when they say no, that is their no. in 2003 let me tell you, I was in AD then and I contested into the Ekiti State House of Assembly. Then I lost because Ekiti people want to hook on to the National Gridso they decided to vote for PDP. At that time, 90% of the Politicians in Ekiti were in AD, I stand to be corrected, It was Fayose and some few people that were in the PDP. In the end the masses of Ekiti had sympathy for the PDP. In AD we were having the crowd and the money. Even on the eve of the elections we were distributing the money we never met any PDP man on the way distributing money, they didn’t even have money to distribute. But on the Election Day people voted en masse for the PDP. So you see I am a student of history and I have followed the political emergence in Ekiti with keen interest, I was an active participant in 1999,2003 and 2007. And when you look at it, when people want a change they go for that change and they don’t mind whose Ox is gored. So all we need to do now is to do a lot of awareness, get into the peoples hearts appropriately and of course we will get the votes.
Alarinka Agbaye: If you are eventually elected, what plans do you have for the peoples of Ekiti State?
Kole Ajayi: The major plan now is, you see, the cry in Ekiti now is that the present Government is more involved in phony capital projects that are not really relevant to the welfare of the people. You know, building Government House on top of the Hill, spending N6 Billion to give Laptops to impoverished Secondary School students, laying asphalt on already asphalted roads, all on borrowed money. So the thing is taking its toll on the economy of Ekiti so when we get to Power what we intend to do is to change the focus of Government towards Human development because there is a lot of poverty in the land and joblessness, lack of jobs yes for the young school leavers so we want to go into agro-business and some other ventures that would industrialize every locality and in turn create jobs for the jobless people. So we will deemphasize any project that will not add value to the lives and the economy of the Ekiti people.
Alarinka Agbaye: Is it true that the Accord Party is afraid of the APC?
Kole Ajayi: I won’t speak for Accord Party because Accord Party has not made any categorical statement about APC but all I know for sure is that Accord Party is not a part of APC. But to me personally APC will not make any difference in the political terrain of Nigeria because to me in the South West ACN is transforming into APC and it is just like an Armed Robber coming up in a Reverend Father’s Cassocks, to mean it is the same people, people has seen them and definitely nothing is changing. On the issue of CPC merging with them or whatever I don’t see them making any success because it is a bed of strange fellows and I don’t see Buhari working successfully with Tinubu who has been a Human Rights Activist, who has been somebody that is against anything Military and unfortunately Buhari’s antecedents are undemocratic. But domestically in Ekiti I don’t see the emergence of APC making a difference because it is the same ACN people that will wear the APC garment. For example there is no ANPP in Ekiti and as I am speaking the ACN Government in Ekiti State is the easiest to defeat so it doesn’t really make any difference.
Alarinka Agbaye: Thank you so much for your time.
Kole Ajayi: Thank you too. You are welcome anytime.
During the 32nd Edition of Usi Day that was held on Saturday, 3rd August 2013 at Usi-Ekiti, the Alarinka Agbaye Travel and Tourism Magazine Crew of Remi Oladoye and Jide Adurosakin got up close to Barrister Kole Ajayi, the Accord Party Gubernatorial Candidate in Ekiti State. Enjoy the full interview.
Alarinka Agbaye: Can you introduce yourself?
Kole Ajayi: I am Barrister Kole Ajayi, the gubernatorial candidate of Accord Party in Ekiti State.
Alarinka Agbaye: You said you are a candidate, are you the only one?
Kole Ajayi: Yes, I have been adopted. I am the only one.
Alarinka Agbaye: Have you been adopted?
Kole Ajayi: Yes, by the party and it is incontrovertible as we are speaking.
Alarinka Agbaye: Accord Party is new in Ekiti, how do you want to do it?
Kole Ajayi: Well, the Party is already on ground, new or not new. When Mimiko took the Labour Party to Ondo state he had a success of it. With God, all things are possible.
Alarinka Agbaye: What gives you the impression that people are going to support your Party in the 2014 elections?
Kole Ajayi: Well, everything is playing out naturally. Ekiti people are tired of both platforms. ACN has tried, you know it was AD that changed into ACN, they have been tried twice. PDP too has been tried twice and now people are tired of those platforms. Now that both platforms are in deep irreconcilable crises within each of them so when you now look at it the people need an alternative. Ekiti people needs a Third Force. Moreover, my person is home based and Ekiti wants an home based person. If you go through my profile I have all that it takes. I have paid my dues in Ekiti system.
Alarinka Agbaye: You said home grown, that has been your slogan for a while. But people believe they need somebody with international and national experience. Do you also fit into that category?
Kole Ajayi: I don’t understand what you mean by National experience but if you go through my profile I have more experience than any Governor that has ever served Ekiti. I was a National President of my alumni association and a Member of the Governing Council with reputable men in the Nigerian society, persons like Chief wole Olanipekun, Chief Eperokun ,Architect Fola Alade and a lot of them and so apart from that I was a member of Ekiti State Advisory Committee at a time. I also headed Ekiti progressive Forum and organized Ekiti Day for 2004 and 2005. At a time I was also the Public Relations Officer for the Conference of Alumni Associations of Nigerian Universities and when you look at it I had my First Degree in Sciences in 1987, 18 years after I went back to the Secondary School to write Literature-in-English which enabled me to enter for a Law programme and as I am speaking with you by the Grace of God I have been called to the Nigerian Bar in 2011 and when you look at it I will be the most read Governor in the history of Ekiti because I have 2 different Degrees in two extremes of human endeavours. So just to mention a few, when Adebayo came we all saw his profile, a quarter of a page and when Fayose came half of a page. When Oni came in his profile was bare best and there was nothing domestic about what he has done, he has not really contributed anything to Ekiti development of course he was in Kenya. But when Fayemi came he flaunted a lot of things: Consultant Massachusetts, Consultant this; Consultant that, to the United Nations but of course nothing domestic. So if you look at my profile like I have stated you will know I have gained a lot of experience within the terrain and I have contributed immensely to the development of Ekiti and to my Community because presently I am the Chief Spokesman and the National PRO of Ado Ekiti Progressive Union.
Alarinka Agbaye: Elections are few months away now, how prepared are you for the elections?
Kole Ajayi: Of course we are fully prepared. We are even the best prepared Party because we are already fully in town while other Parties are busy battling withj domestic crises here and there.
Alarinka Agbaye: How acceptable is Accord Party?
Kole Ajayi: Of course Accord Party is acceptable everywhere, we are close to the grassroots. Ekiti people are tired of both Parties. The acceptability is encouraging, we have been talking to various Unions and Associations and the feedback is encouraging. You see, in Ekiti, when they say no, that is their no. in 2003 let me tell you, I was in AD then and I contested into the Ekiti State House of Assembly. Then I lost because Ekiti people want to hook on to the National Gridso they decided to vote for PDP. At that time, 90% of the Politicians in Ekiti were in AD, I stand to be corrected, It was Fayose and some few people that were in the PDP. In the end the masses of Ekiti had sympathy for the PDP. In AD we were having the crowd and the money. Even on the eve of the elections we were distributing the money we never met any PDP man on the way distributing money, they didn’t even have money to distribute. But on the Election Day people voted en masse for the PDP. So you see I am a student of history and I have followed the political emergence in Ekiti with keen interest, I was an active participant in 1999,2003 and 2007. And when you look at it, when people want a change they go for that change and they don’t mind whose Ox is gored. So all we need to do now is to do a lot of awareness, get into the peoples hearts appropriately and of course we will get the votes.
Alarinka Agbaye: If you are eventually elected, what plans do you have for the peoples of Ekiti State?
Kole Ajayi: The major plan now is, you see, the cry in Ekiti now is that the present Government is more involved in phony capital projects that are not really relevant to the welfare of the people. You know, building Government House on top of the Hill, spending N6 Billion to give Laptops to impoverished Secondary School students, laying asphalt on already asphalted roads, all on borrowed money. So the thing is taking its toll on the economy of Ekiti so when we get to Power what we intend to do is to change the focus of Government towards Human development because there is a lot of poverty in the land and joblessness, lack of jobs yes for the young school leavers so we want to go into agro-business and some other ventures that would industrialize every locality and in turn create jobs for the jobless people. So we will deemphasize any project that will not add value to the lives and the economy of the Ekiti people.
Alarinka Agbaye: Is it true that the Accord Party is afraid of the APC?
Kole Ajayi: I won’t speak for Accord Party because Accord Party has not made any categorical statement about APC but all I know for sure is that Accord Party is not a part of APC. But to me personally APC will not make any difference in the political terrain of Nigeria because to me in the South West ACN is transforming into APC and it is just like an Armed Robber coming up in a Reverend Father’s Cassocks, to mean it is the same people, people has seen them and definitely nothing is changing. On the issue of CPC merging with them or whatever I don’t see them making any success because it is a bed of strange fellows and I don’t see Buhari working successfully with Tinubu who has been a Human Rights Activist, who has been somebody that is against anything Military and unfortunately Buhari’s antecedents are undemocratic. But domestically in Ekiti I don’t see the emergence of APC making a difference because it is the same ACN people that will wear the APC garment. For example there is no ANPP in Ekiti and as I am speaking the ACN Government in Ekiti State is the easiest to defeat so it doesn’t really make any difference.
Alarinka Agbaye: Thank you so much for your time.
Kole Ajayi: Thank you too. You are welcome anytime.
