The Ewi of Ado Ekiti in Ekiti State, Oba Rufus Adejugbe, has said that the relationship between him and a former Ekiti State Governor and 2014 Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate, Peter Ayodele Fayose, was cordial and perfect.
The Ewi, who stated this when the former governor paid him homage at his palace on Friday, said neither the Ewi nor the people of Ado was against Fayose.
According to a statement on Sunday by Fayose’s spokesman, Idowu Adelusi, Oba Adejugbe said that he doesn’t think or talk about the past, stressing that the past has gone with its inadequacies.
However, the monarch enjoined all the parties’ candidates to conduct peaceful campaign, saying that all eyes were focused on Ekiti State.
He added: “We don’t want fight, violence and killing in Ekiti State.
“What we want is peace and progress.
“All eyes are on us whether we are going to kill ourselves….”
Quoting from I Corithians 13 Vs 1-9, the Ewi employed Ekiti State people to love one another, shun violence and killing, stressing that the state can move forward if there is peace.
Earlier, Fayose, who was well received by the Ewi and his chiefs, had told the monarch that he had not come as a candidate but rather to pay homage to the Kabiyesi, adding that he would still come back to present himself as a candidate, during which he would ask for royal blessing.
He praised the Ewi for being magnanimous in forgiving him his wrongdoings of the past, saying that he was now better a Fayose, more responsible, mature and responsive, promising never to allow anybody to stand between him and the Ewi.
The PDP candidate said: “I urge you Kabiyesi to forgive and forget the past so that tomorrow can come.
“I will accord you the desired respect and recognition if you offer me another chance.
“It is my detractors that stood between me and your royal majesty.”
Fayose recalled what he did at transforming Ado township when he was governor, promising to do more for Ado if he becomes the governor.
Meanwhile, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ekiti State, Lati Ajijola, has challenged the All Progressives Congress government in the state to debunk with facts and figures claim by Fayose that PDP governments developed the state better than any other governments, instead of engaging in campaigns of calumny.
Ajijola, who said no amount of character assassination will save the APC from defeat in the June 21 election, added: “From Ado-Ekiti to Mobaland, Ekiti people have made up their minds to reject the APC government and no amount of campaign of calumny against the person of Fayose will change that.”
In a statement issued in Ado-Ekiti on Sunday, Ajijola described as “lie from the pit of hell,” claim by the Kayode Fayemi Campaign Organisation that Fayose locked the Alafao of Afao-Ekiti, Oba Joseph Ademilua, in his palace to prevent the monarch from attending to Governor Kayode Fayemi during his campaign tour of the town.
He said; “First and foremost, the liars in the APC do not even know that the Kabiyesi, Alafao does not live in the palace. He lives in his private residence.
“Secondly, if Fayose had behaved like Fayemi, who made it impossible for any other party to campaign in his Isan-Ekiti hometown, would Fayemi have been able to enter Afao-Ekiti, not talk of wanting to see the monarch?”
While urging PDP supporters in the state to remain steadfast in their support for the party and its candidate, Ajijola said: “The APC propagandists have tried all their old tricks and failed. They lied that Kabiyesi, the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adejugbe, would not allow Fayose to enter his palace, but Fayose and PDP leaders visited the palace on Friday, with the Ewi praying for him (Fayose).”
He advised the APC to defend their failed government instead of engaging in smear campaign, adding: “Like I said before, let the APC people deny the fact that their government surpassed the achievements of Fayose in Ado-Ekiti.
“Let them deny that Fayose’s government was not the one that made Ado-Ekiti what it is today. Let them tell Ekiti people that Fayose’s government did not dualised Ijigbo-Ajilosun, Ijigbo-Ilawe, Fajuyi Park-Adebayo and Fajuyi Park-Bashiri roads.”
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