Bamidele’s 2014 gov posters flood Ekiti

There appears to be a crack in the Action Congress of Nigeria in Ekiti State with the sudden appearance of governorship posters of a member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Bamidele Opeyemi.

The posters have the Labour Party logo and inscription, Promised Land 2014, even though the lawmaker is currently in the ACN.

The governorship poll will hold in the state in 2014 while other elections will hold in 2015.

The posters were lavishly displayed on major streets in Ado Ekiti, especially at Fajuyi Park, and Iyin-Ekiti, the hometown of the lawmaker, among other towns in the state.

Bamidele had in 2011 contested the ACN ticket at the Central Senatorial District with the incumbent Senator Babafemi Ojudu.

The crisis, which ensued following the contest between the duo, our correspondent learnt, polarised the party even as the wounds have yet to heal.

The party is reported to be considering giving the senatorial ticket to a former governor of the state, Niyi Adebayo, as a way of avoiding a repeat of the clash between Ojudu and Bamidele.

The appearance of Bamidele’s posters on the LP platform is a new dimension to the disquiet over the crack in the ACN in the state.

Efforts by our correspondent to speak with Bamidele proved abortive as several calls to his telephone did not go through.

However, his media aide, Mr. Ahmed Salami, who said his boss knew nothing about the posters, linked the action to the handiwork of political detractors.

Salami said, “He (Bamidele) would come out boldly and tell Ekiti people his ambition at the right time.”

Also, the Director of Publicity, ACN state, Chief Tai Oguntauo, said he was not aware of the posters, noting that Bamidele remained a faithful ACN member.

He said the lawmaker had not told the party that he would contest the governorship poll or that he would leave the ruling party.

Oguntayo said, “You know that this is politics and people can do anything to destabilise a party. I believe this is the handiwork of the opposition. They want to cause crisis within our party but it won’t work.”

Bamidele had in October criticised the dissolution of the ward executive of the party in all the 177 wards across the state.