Fayose carpets Oni over popularity statement

 Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Peter Ayodele Fayose, has flayed a former governor of the state, Mr. Segun Oni, for claiming that the Peoples Democratic Party’s victory in the state has not proved his (Fayose) popularity.

Fayose said Oni could not appreciate the popularity of other politicians or value it because he had never been a popular politician and neither had he won election in his life.

The governor, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Idowu Adelusi, described Oni as a politician who always relied on godfathers to impose him on the people due to his unpopularity.

Adelusi, however, asked Oni to stop castigating Fayose who removed the reproach placed on him by former Governor Kayode Fayemi, who took away his (Oni) photographs from the Governor’s Office.

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According to Adelusi, since it takes the deep to call to the deep, only a successful politician will be able to appreciate what it takes to win in an election.

Adelusi said if Fayose, who after leaving office for eight years came back to defeat the All Progressives Congress governor in all the 16 local governments of the state and still trounced the party in the last general elections, how then could Oni measure popularity?

According to Adelusi, Oni has never won election in his life. He said that in 2006, Oni came third in the PDP governorship primary, but the godfathers imposed him on the party.

“Segun Oni did not win the 2007 governorship election which informed the nullification of his election by the court,” Adelusi said.

He reminded the former governor that the court also removed him because he was imposed on the PDP as the party’s National Vice-Chairman (South-West).

Adelusi said, “How do you compare Segun Oni, who was always removed from office by the court due to unpopularity with Fayose, who has always won elections and whose elections have always been affirmed by the court.?”

Adelusi said it was wrong for Oni or any APC leader or supporter to say that Fayose sponsored the crisis in the state House of Assembly.

He added that it was Oni and other APC leaders who instructed the APC lawmakers not to cooperate with Fayose’s administration.