The Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, has expressed confidence that Governor Kayode Fayemi will not impose any candidate during the 2022 primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State.
Senator Bamidele described himself as the best to govern Ekiti State in view of his experiences in the public service that has spanned over 30 years and still counting, and which has cut across the Executive, Legislative and Judicial arms of the Government.
The Distinguished Senator spoke in Ado Ekiti on Thursday while formally declaring his intention to contest the 2022 Governorship Race on the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the State.
Prelude to his arrival at the Party Secretariat of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Ekiti State, the Ekiti State Central Senatorial District Senator, Barrister Michael Opeyemi Bamidele was well received by a mammoth crowd of admirers, including commercial motorcycle operators and drivers, who had a procession from Ilawe Ekiti road to Ajilosun, where the APC Secretariat was located.
Addressing party leaders, Senator Bamidele, in his speech said his superlative contributions in the Senate included his being instrumental to the passage of a bill for the establishments of a Medical Science University and a branch of Law School in the State, saying these were well amplified testimonials to his competence to lead Ekiti people as their Governor cone 2022″.
Cataloguing his achievements as a Senator, Barrister Bamidele “revealed that he had secured employments for 79 citizens of Ekiti as a Senator and had empowered over 4,000 persons in his Senatorial district, including the physically challenged people”.
Speaking about why he decided to join the Governorship Race, Senator Bamidele said: “we will strive hard to ensure that we don’t create crisis for the APC. I am particularly happy that the party had not endorsed anybody or under any instruction to impose anybody. I know that Governor Kayode Fayemi won’t do anything that will scatter the party as a leader, I am confident that this will not happen”, he stressed.
“The January 22nd primary is not the ultimate but how to win the June 18, 2022 Governorship Election in the State. I am also convinced that the State Chairman of the Party in the State is a gentleman. I have known some of you for a long time as men of integrity”, he declared.
“I am comfortable with the leadership and our Governor. I know that the governor can’t impose neither me nor anyone, for the sake of our party. I won’t be a politician that will terrify Ekiti, I will rather work for its comfort”, he added.
“We can’t fight because of party primary. This is a family affair. I won’t do anything that will cause tension in Ekiti and APC. Only one person will be candidate and we should all work together and claim the victory together”, he posited.
“I am not the only one that is qualified to be Governor, but I have qualities that can make me outstanding as a Governor. There are three arms of government, Judiciary, executive and legislature. In the Judiciary, I belong to the body of benchers, the highest decision making body in the sector. As the Chairman of the Committee on Judiciary in the Senate, we superintend over all Federal Courts and other Judicial Institution’s in this Country”.
“Again, I was a member of the State Executive Council as Commissioner in Lagos State under two Governor’s for 11 years. I had been member of the House of Representatives and now a Senator. So, I have experiences in the judiciary, Executive and Legislative arms of the government”.
Urging the party to give him the ticket and win easily, Bamidele said: “Ekiti people are ready to vote for me, they are waiting for me already. And if APC refuses to give me, I won’t get these ready made votes. So, the APC must give the ticket to a popular person one who can win election easily.
“When I was in the House of Representatives, I was coming home on a weekly basis, and that gave some people the opportunity to cause trouble between myself and my friend and confidant, Dr Kayode Fayemi. But we have agreed not to fight again and that will never happen. That was why I have decided to stay away from Ekiti, because I don’t want to heat up the system that can cause crisis”.
Reminiscing on the shooting of December 1st, 2018, when he was shot as the Director General of Kayode Fayemi re-election campaign organisation at the party Secretariat, Bamidele said: “I believed that I have been saved by God to serve Ekiti people. I was saved for the sake of this time”.
“Let me also say that I have nobody to fight if anybody wants to fight me over this governorship, tell them I am not ready for any fight”.
“If you give me the ticket, I will make you proud as a Governor. I will even make you proud in my scientific campaign and how best to handle the party and give them respect that they deserve”‘.
The APC State Chairman, Barrister Paul Omotoso, who spoke on behalf of the State Working Committee of the All Progressive Congress (APC), described Bamidele as a respectable individual, assuring that the party will not impose any aspirant in the coming primary.
The APC State Chairman added “that what the party stands for is Equity, Justice and Fairplay and that nothing will change this”.
Earlier, the intimidating crowd received Bamidele, who came into town around 12.48pm via Ilawe Ekiti road at the popular Delight Hotels and the carnival like procession began from there to Irona and Ijigbo road.
Senator Bamidele later got to the party Secretariat at around 2:27pm, taking about One hour 40 minutes to complete a journey that ordinarily should have lasted for 20 minutes due to the huge crowd that caused traffic logjam along Ilawe -Irona-Ijigbo-Ajilosun road.
Amid cheers by bystanders and followers, Bamidele, fondly called MOB, moved in a long convoy of vehicles numbering 200 to the party Secretariat at Ajilosun area of the Ado Ekiti capital city.
Bamidele, dressed in white flowing Agbada with white cap to March waved uncontrollably as he navigated through the thick crowd that ushered him into the State Party Secretariat.
The motorists traveling to Ado-Akure road had a hectic time in crossing to Ikere Ekiti due to traffic snarl that lasted for over an hour.
Most memorable was how the women, traders, youth groups, Okada riders and commercial motorcyclists, had trooped out en masse to cheer the Federal Lawmaker in support of his Governorship ambition.
At Ijigbo, Irona and Ajilosun, several Okada riders had abandoned their daily hustling and joined the roving train, as it raved towards the party secretariat in enigmatic fashion.
The Commercial drivers were not also left out in the extreme show of love as many of them also joined the campaign train that sauntered into the capital city and heading for the APC Secretariat.
Political heavyweights that accompanied the Federal Lawmaker to the Secretariat include: the Director General of the Opeyemi Bamidele campaign organisation, Chief Akintade Olayisade, former Chairman of Ekiti West, former House of Representatives, Hon. Oni Olamide, former Council chairman, Hon. Sola Fakanle, Mr. Niyi Oloniyo, Chairman of ward B in Iyin Ekiti, Mr Akinsanya, Kayode Lawrence, among others.
The political giant was received by State party Chairman, Hon Paul Omotoso, his Deputy, Sola Elesin, Publicity Secretary, Segun Dipe and other bigwigs within the State Working Committee.
He thereafter led the State Working Committee of the All Progressive Congress in Ekiti State led by its State Chairman, Barrister Paul Omotoso to officially Commissioned the Ekiti Central Senatorial District Situation Office he built for the people of the State.
It was another hectic crowd who bethronged the Magnificent Edifice located after the popular Tosin Aluko Motor Park in Ado Ekiti along the Ikere Ekiti road.
Packaged by Emmanuel Adeniran
