• ADC candidate, Oluyede, laments dwindling revenues
• Says state can’t do well relying on federal allocations alone
Exactly one month after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) lifted the ban on campaigns by political parties and less than two months to the election, the major political parties are yet to start their campaigns.
However, the All Progressives Congress (APC) had last week unveiled its campaign council, which would by led by Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; former governor of the state and currently Minister of Industry, Trade and Investments, Otunba Niyi Adebayo and the Deputy Governor of the state, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi, for its governorship candidate, Mr. Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji.
Fayemi is to lead the 20-man campaign team as chairman, while Egbeyemi will serve as the vice-chairman. The candidate’s advisory council is to be co-chaired by Adebayo and Fayemi.
Sources in the APC told The Guardian that the APC would begin its campaign across the 16 local councils after the Easter break.
Similarly, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had earlier released the membership of its campaign council to be led by Mr. Yinka Akerele.
On the other hand, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) had also made public the membership of its campaign council, which is being chaired by former Ambassador to Canada, Mr. Dare Bajide.
Segun Oni of the SDP just concluded the tour of the councils to meet with leaders and members of the party ahead of his campaign.
While the immediate past chairperson of Ado Local Council, Mrs. Omotunde Fajuyi, is to lead the campaign of the Action Democratic Congress (ADC), not much is known about the campaign activities of the remaining 12 political parties.
MEANWHILE, the candidate of the Action Democratic Congress (ADC), Dr. Oluwole Oluyede, has advocated the need for government to create multiple ingenious means that will generate resources for growth and development of the state other than the monthly federal allocations.
He said that dependence on allocations would only limit the growth of the state and make it subservient.
Oluyede, who spoke yesterday in Ado-Ekiti, added that the inability of the successive governments to think out of the box and improve on the state’s Internally-Generated Revenue (IGR) had retarded the development of the state.
He expressed worry over the debt profile of the state in the last decade, a situation he blamed on the inability of successive governments to take advantage of various opportunities around the globe.
Oluyede, therefore, expressed confidence that his party would emerge victoriously.
He also dispelled the insinuation that he was planning to step down, saying he is in the game to win and nothing more.
Source: Guardian.ng
