Fayose’s special aide quits, protests over deputy gov’s anointing as successor (Details, pics)

The Special Assistant on General Matters to Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State, Segun Akinwumi, has resigned his appointment. Akinwumi had earlier served as Director General/Special Adviser on Procurement Matters before his re-designation.

In his December 29 resignation letter, Akinwumi did not state any reason for his action. The five-paragraph letter reads: “I hereby tender my resignation with immediate effect.

"Sir, you would recall that on 24th October, 2014, you appointed me Director General/Special Adviser on Procurement Matters in your government, the position I held until I was redeployed as Special Assistant, General Matters, till today, December 29, 2017.  “I thank you most sincerely for giving me the rare opportunity to serve at both appointments. Please, accept the assurances of my kindest regards.”

But in a telephone chat with journalists on Sunday, Akinwumi said he took the decision to quit because the governor reneged on his promise to leave with his deputy, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, who had been anointed as the PDP governorship candidate in the state. He claimed that Fayose had first told him and other aides to work for a former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Owoseni Ajayi; and later, for former Commissioner for Works, Mr. Kayode Oso, as his successor.

Akinwumi said, “I am a product of establishment for the past 39 years and under the tutelage of Baba Awolowo. People were brought in under establishment, it was Baba Ayo Fasanmi that brought us into politics.

“Bringing somebody (Olusola) from nowhere, bringing somebody from the sidelines will not work. It is someone within the system that we want in the PDP. “Fayose should stop playing God in our party, let the national leadership and people that matter tell him not to play God again in our party because you cannot mock God.

“Fayose had told us that he would serve out his tenure together with his deputy. No God has spoken to anybody about it, no one can play God, no matter how highly placed; and anyone that plays God will become an ex-person.

"This was a man (Fayose) that said in public glare on April 24, 2014 that Owoseni Ajayi should not contest to be deputy governor but a governorship material. "Fayose also promised before the whole world that when his tenure finishes in 2018, he and his deputy, Eleka (Olusola) would leave the Government House together."

When contacted on Sunday for his reaction, Fayose's Special Assistant on New Media and Public Communication, Lere Olayinka, said there was no reaction to Akinwumi's claims since he didn't state that in his resignation letter.

He said, "I won't dignify those claims with any response since they were not stated in his resignation letter."