Ado- Ekiti, the capital of Ekiti state was practically brought to a standstill last Saturday when Dr. John Kayode  Fayemi (JKF) , the immediate past governor of the state and now  Honourable  Minister of  Mines and Steel  Development declared his intention to contest the July 14 governorship election under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

To many of the residents who attended the declaration, it was the largest gathering they have seen in recent times in the state. Others said the last time they witnessed such a mammoth crowd was four years ago during the governorship election in the state which  Fayemi lost due to unresolved controversial circumstances.

Donning a white vest and fez cap, Fayemi  and his supporters trekked  from Fajuyi area of the city to the party secretariat at Ajilosun, with jubilant crowd chanting APC songs.

The crowd at the rally became ecstatic when Fayemi brought out a red card from his pocket which he symbolically flashed at Governor Fayose and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), declaring an end to the PDP-led government in the state.

Shedding light on why he is re-contesting despite holding a key position as a Minister in the Muhammadu Buhari administration, Fayemi said: “Yes, I am holding an important position in this government through the grace of God and by the magnanimity of our leader, President Muhammadu Buhari and I am satisfied with it if the politics that I play is for me and my family alone.

“But there is an unfinished business in our State. We have to complete and bring back those projects we initiated when we were in the saddle. Again, politics to me, is not about title but about service and sacrifice”.

Fayemi said the incumbent government’s White paper cannot stop him from contesting and winning the forthcoming election.  He said the White paper issued against him by the Fayose government was hurriedly packaged with the hope of stopping him from joining the guber race.

He explained that the incumbent government, in the desperate bid to nail him disregarded the laws of the country, adding that the red card is his answer to the Fayose’s White Paper..

Speaking, Fayemi said the state had retrogressed sharply in the last four years he left office adding that his bid to run for the governorship was motivated by the need to “rescue Ekiti people from bad governance, want, hunger and poverty.”

He lamented the suffering of teachers, state civil servants, local government workers, and pensioners who are being owed backlog of arrears of salaries, allowances and benefits.

Fayemi said the Fayose government  had no excuse for not paying workers’ salaries and pensioners benefits having collected two tranches of bailout funds, two tranches of Paris Club refund and Budget Support Funds for thirteen months.

He also disclosed that latest records from the Debt Management Office (DMO) showed that Fayose had borrowed N56 billion since coming to power in October 2014 with nothing tangible to show for it. He also challenged Fayose to make public the state’s IGR figure, wondering why the state IGR figure which reached N600 million monthly during his tenure is now shrouded in secrecy.

The former governor who admitted borrowing N25 billion, said the money was spent on improving infrastructure in the state, including building major road networks, revitalising moribund Ire Bricks company, Ikogosi resort, government House, Civic centre, state pavilion, and comprehensive renovation of all schools in the state.

The N25 billion bond, according to him had a seven- year tenure, with a well structured monthly repayment plan, adding that the state had repaid N14.5 billion before he left office in 2014.

Fayemi said Fayose would be brought to justice at the end of his tenure on how he has mismanaged all the funds received from the Federal Government on behalf of the people of the state.

He said all APC members who had joined the governorship race are eminently qualified to occupy the state’s number one seat saying anyone who emerges as the flag bearer would be supported by all.

The minister declared that everything humanly, constitutionally and legally possible would be done to win Ekiti State for APC at the next governorship election.

Fayemi said: “ I am in the race to win. I shall be campaigning on the strength of my past achievements as governor of the state and the achievements of the President Buhari –led APC government at the centre.

“Every time I move around, I see the suffering and penury our people are going through. I saw their pain and pangs of not knowing where the next meal will come from.

“It is even more painful when you realise that all the people-oriented programmes, designed and implemented by my administration and which helped to lift the people out of poverty and misery had been cancelled.

“The social security scheme for the elderly citizens has been cancelled, Youth in Commercial Agriculture Scheme (YCAD) has been cancelled, no free education for our children, EKSTMA is no more.

“The state is no longer moving forward just because a charlatan is in the saddle. Sad.

“We will do everything that is required to win Ekiti back, they will accuse us of using federal might. Although power belongs to God and he gives it to whosoever he wishes. The PDP government in Ekiti, knows their time is up and that is why they are jittery and resorting to all manners of pranks.

“They are now dangling their white paper. Their white paper is nothing but a tissue paper. That is why we must tell the man who is shouting around that he has a White Paper, we have a red card for him and his party. We will ensure that he will end up in jail.”

Fayemi described Fayose as a “pathological liar” for claiming that the debt he (Fayemi) left behind was responsible for his (Fayose’s) inability to pay workers’ salaries and pensioners benefits as and when due.

The ex-governor explained that he took a N25 billion bond from the Capital Market in December 2011 with which he executed capital projects adding that he had repaid N14.5 billion at the time he left office in October 2014.

Dismissing the opposition’s claim that he hates workers and teachers, Fayemi stressed that workers enjoyed most during his administration when they enjoyed salary increase three times.

Apart from this, he said workers were sponsored to local and overseas seminars, teachers got Core Subjects Allowance, Rural Teachers Allowance and no worker was sacked.

Fayemi said: “When I come before you, it is with profound need for the unfinished business, we need to complete what we started, reclaim our land and restore our land.

“Anywhere Ekiti people go, people subject us to questions that what is wrong with you Ekiti people? We thought you are educated, we thought you are exposed, how do you come up with a character like this as governor?

“It is time to put a stop to that; it is not about title, it is about sacrifice and whatever it will take us to free Ekiti from these criminal and rapacious brigands, we will do it.” He added.

Present at the party secretariat and the rally were Fayemi’s wife, Bisi; his former deputy governor, Prof. Modupe Adelabu; Nigeria’s Ambassador to Hungary, Dr. Eniola Ajayi, and other notable party leaders in the state as well as former officials in his administration.