Supreme Court victory: Let’s work together,  Fayemi tells Eleka

The Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, on Friday waved the olive branch to the People’s Democratic Party governorship candidate in the July 14, 2018 election, Prof Kolapo Olusola, urging him to work with him in building Ekiti State.

The governor’s invitation came on the heels of Supreme Court’s dismissal of Eleka’s appeal and declaration of Fayemi as the winner of the July 14, 2018, governorship poll.

The development led to widespread jubilation in Ado Ekiti capital, as news filtered into town that Fayemi won at the Supreme Court.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Fayemi winner in the election but Eleka approached the Election Petition Tribunal, claiming that he won the poll.

However, Eleka lost at both the tribunal and appeal court before proceeding to the apex court.

It was a double celebration at the Government House as Fayemi on Wednesday  won the chairmanship of the Nigeria Governor’s forum (NGF).

Fayemi, who just returned to Ekiti from Abuja, said Olusola was an accomplished Ekiti person going by what he had read and heard about him and that he was ready to work with him to move Ekiti forward.

“Prof Olusola Eleka is an illustrious Ekiti person. Though, I am not close to him, but from what I have heard and read about him, he is an accomplished Ekiti man.

“He had served this state as a deputy governor and having pursued his case to the Supreme Court, he should forget about party. He should come to Ekiti party; that is where we all belong, so that we can serve our people better and in a more beneficial way,” he said.

Also, Fayemi described both his appointment as NGF chairman and his court’s victory as signals of good things to come for Ekiti and the South West.

Speaking further on the verdict, the governor said: “I have to give glory to God for finally bearing testimony to the fact that the election that brought me into office was credible and that the primary of my party  was the best ever conducted by any party in the history of our nation.

“It also bear testimony to the fact that the so called white papers which indicted me was meant for nowhere but a trash can.

“The Supreme Court said the foundation trial courts did a yeoman’s job by saying the election in Ekiti was substantially compliant with the provisions of the law.

“Let me thank the Supreme Court for putting  a finality to this endless litigation because distraction is bound to happen when you have endless cases in court.”

On his election as NGF chairman, Fayemi said: “It was Ekiti that elected me governor, but being a NGF chairman won’t make me to withdraw from serving Ekiti.

“You can say Ekiti is in the eye of the storm, because I was elected NGF chairman to serve the nation, but there is no way I won’t defend my people in whatever that is coming to states. It is not unlikely that I will argue for Ekiti when things like this happen.

“The NGF is a national role; I am just a first among equals,” he said.