A HOUSE of Representatives member, Opeyemi Bamidele, on Saturday, disagreed with the leadership of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) that he should drop his governorship ambition in the 2014 election for incumbent governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.
The leadership of the party, including its national chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, former governor of Lagos State, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, among others, were at Ado Ekiti during the week where they endorsed Fayemi for a second term and advised Bamidele to “mellow down”.
But Bamidele, while addressing his supporters, yesterday, said he is not ready to step down for Fayemi and vowed to forge ahead with his ambition.
The lawmaker, who will turn 50 on July 29, said he had decided to shelve his 50th birthday celebration in honour of Ekiti people, whom, he said, are still languishing in poverty. “I cannot be celebrating a birthday in the midst of poverty,” he said.
Speaking at his office on the platform of Ekiti Bibiire Coalition, Bamidele, who represents Ado-Irepodun/Ifelodun Federal
Constituency, said nobody, can stop him from contesting against Fayemi.
He said he remains unperturbed despite Fayemi’s endorsement. According to him, “It is only God that crowns the king.”
Speaking on the peace parley championed by Tinubu and Akande, where
Fayemi was endorsed, Bamidele, said: “I was invited for the meeting,
but I got the text message late. But my argument still remains that Tinubu did not endorse Fayemi at the meeting.
“The Tinubu that I know will not take any step that will undermine democracy. So, what was reported was not what Tinubu said. The Tinubu I know wants Ekiti people to take their own decision and not be imposed upon.”
The federal lawmaker did not mention the political party under which
he would advance his political ambition, saying the platform will be known soon.
He, however, said he has enormous respect for the ACN leader, under
whom he served as Special Adviser in Lagos State, revealing that he is not contesting the coming governorship election out of his own personal conviction, but on the request of Ekiti people.
He said that he would not be desperate in his bid
to become the governor of the state by carrying lethal weapons to hunt his political opponents in the name of politics.
Bamidele asked his supporters: “Were you not the one that called me to
come and contest?” They answered: “We were the ones!” He appealed to them to be civil in the face of provocation.
He urged Fayemi to stop dropping Tinubu’s names in his campaign, saying he should be man enough to carry his own political
cross.
“I will always respect my benefactor and Senator Tinubu is my benefactor whom I respect so well. But Ekiti is first on my agenda. The Tinubu I know wants the best for Ekiti. If I could work for
him for eleven and half years to make Lagos State a model, then I know
he will want somebody, like me, to work with the people to make Ekiti a model.
“Nobody can stop me from contesting the governorship election. I cannot fight with Tinubu, just like it is not compulsory that we should
agree on everything at all times,” Bamidele said.
Source: Guardian
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