Adebomi: Fayose runs Ekiti PDP like his estate

Sunday Adebomi, a United States Army officer, was a
member of the Peoples Democratic Party (Pdp) until last
month when he defected to the All Progressives
Congress (Apc) in his native Ise-Ekiti. In this interview
with Odunayo Ogunmola, he says Governor Ayo Fayose’s
leadership style has triggered a mass exodus of quality
leaders from the Pdp.
How did you get into politics?
My name is Sunday Adebomi from Ise-Ekiti in Ise/Orun
Local Government Area of Ekiti State. I am a Captain in
the United States Army. My mother is from Ikere-Ekiti,
where I grew up. I came into politics as an advocate
for the younger generation and that is my primary
concern. It’s like the youth of this country are losing
focus, by allowing elderly politicians to call the shots.
But, now, somebody has come to provide quality
leadership.
Leadership is about self conviction; it’s all about what
you can give to the people; and it’s all about how
many people you can empower. It is quite
unfortunate and it makes me laugh anytime I see
politicians buying motorcycles, pepper grinders for
people, under the pretext of empowering them. Please,
tell me, is that empowerment? Empowerment is what
people can enjoy collectively. Besides, these are not
local people; they believe in their father’s legacy; they
are always proud to face people and tell them that
their father has done this or that; I am a son of so and
so person. But, the question is, can you do half of
what your father can do? They believe in sycophancy
and they won’t go to the people to know where the
shoe pinches them. I will definitely deliver; they know I
am better than them anyway.
How can Nigeria get out of the recession?
Thank you! The country needs to focus on the areas of
employment, agriculture and education, through quality
research. Let’s say what works in one local
government may not work in another, because every
community has its expectations and needs, where the
shoe pinches them. There is short term and long term
solutions. Most Nigerians still believe in 1970s
technology; they don’t want to advance and there is
the need to upgrade their experience in all facets of
the economy, for the country to grow.
What can you achieve when you bring a carpenter to
come and govern a local government or a bricklayer to
come and serve as Commissioner for Works or a band
boy to serve in the House of Assembly? What positive
development do you expect from somebody that is not
a round peg, but put in a round hole? All we need is to
put round pegs into round holes. The Nigeria populace
needs to be oriented in terms of birth control, the
population is getting bigger everyday; there is the need
for birth control. You journalists need an atmosphere to
operate freely, but look at it now, opposition is seen as
the enemy of the state. But, in the real sense of it,
opposition keeps the government on its toes. And that
is why I am here to correct the wrongs. It won’t feel
comfortable just looking at Ekiti that has been
downgraded for whatever reasons that is best known
to the whole Ekiti people and I think Ekiti people
deserve outstanding leadership and that is what I want
to prove right.
The youth are generally believed to be lazy. How
would you go about changing their mindset?
Leadership is by example. Like I said earlier, I am just
an orange seller son and a local man to the core; who
was born and bred in Nigeria. But, by the grace of God
before coming into politics, I have been advocating for
the youths; I have been helping farmers and
empowering the youths. In fact, I have helped a lot of
people to the United States of America. I have been to
over 25 countries; I have seen most of the world and
everywhere I meet Nigerians, the younger generations
and I always try to mentor them and make sure they
are stable. They have what it takes to become
somebody in life. But, I have just come to realise that
it isn’t enough to have all the experiences, having
served in the US Army, I think I have the courage to
lead my people, show them the way and make them
see the light. I am also a young man in my early 40s. I
felt the need to come home and serve my people,
especially helping the youths discover themselves.
At what level of governance do you intend to achieve
this and through which political party?
It’s not all about contesting, but about giving
dividends through your own experience. I was a
member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and I
love the party, but unfortunately Governor Ayo Fayose
is somebody who doesn’t want to believe somebody is
better than him; he just believes in himself and he
likes to oppress and impress the illiterates, which of
course is wrong. To shed more light on what I have
said earlier, to provide them direction and let them see
how they can better their lives. I call it oppressing by
style; that is exactly what Fayose is doing. He knows I
am better than him and he is trying to relegate me into
oblivion; those are wrongs that must be corrected.
Since you love the PDP, can’t you use it as a platform
to achieve your mission, rather than the APC?
The activities of Governor Fayose are a disgrace to the
party, because he is too fond of himself; he believes he
has the monopoly of knowledge and power. Perhaps, it
is too early to say I want to contest for this and that; it
is the people that will decide.
The APC, on the other hand, is strong; it has what I
term intellectual power. It also has people’s power, but
there is a lot to work to be done and that is why you
can’t stay in Abuja or Lagos and say you want to
contest for elections in Ekiti. People need to feel your
presence. You need to be accessible to the people; it
is not only when you need their votes that they will see
you. More so, I believe in the administration of
President Muhammad Buhari, even though Nigerians
are not happy now because of the recession. But, let
me say that the recession should be seen as an
avenue to correct the wrongs of the past. I think
Nigerians should be patient. For example, President
Barack Obama contested the US Presidency in 2008
during the economy meltdown, there was high rate of
unemployment, no security and everything was bad.
However, under his leadership, Americans buckled their
belts and worked as if there is no tomorrow and things
went back to normal.
Are you in the APC officially now or you intend to join
the party in the future?
Officially, I joined the APC on Friday, October 28, 2016.
I can’t continue in the PDP, which is solely run by
Fayose and his cohorts. He scuttled our ambition and
robbed us of our political rights. There is no rule of law
in Ekiti PDP; he (Fayose) wants to control
everything, as if it is his personal business and his
antics should be resisted by well meaning Nigerians.
You said Fayose robbed you; can you explain that?
I contested for Senate in 2014 and when they wanted
to do their kangaroo primary, I can’t imagine people
coming openly and officially to rig the election. One
man was writing the names of the candidates. Well, I
felt cheated; I had cause to fight the security agents,
because I can die for my people. I will never accept
cheating; I will always resist it no matter where it is
coming from. Although I have international immunity,
I don’t carry power around me like Fayose; I control
power unlike Governor Fayose who is intoxicated by
power. I am a very humble person.
Can you tell us why you are leaving the PDP?
I am leaving PDP because of the personality of Fayose.
Two, I believe there is nothing good in PDP anymore;
we don’t have good people in the party again. How
many leaders can you find in Ekiti PDP? Femi Bamisile,
Yinka Akerele, Tope Aluko, Ropo Adesanya and a two-
term state Chairman of the PDP, under whom he
achieved his mission when he newly came into politics,
Ayo Arise. Even Dr. Owolabi that I contested against is
no longer there. One way or the other, this man called
Fayose had stepped on our toes, due to his arrogant
way of life. How can you lose a two-term state
chairman and still believe you are comfortable;
definitely something is wrong with this man. Despite
the fact that he robbed all of us of our ambitions and
gave it out to people he thinks he can control, he has
never called us to even say he is sorry. It’s unfortunate
that I can’t continue under such a person and I
can’t drag my integrity into the mud, because of
Fayose. Governor Ayo Fayose’s personality and his
alleged autocratic policy have left me with no other
choice but to dump the PDP for the APC. The state
PDP is now Fayose’s personal business, the best way I
can describe his style of governance is autocratic and
that is not my own type of politics. Fayose is seen as
everything in the state, politically, award of contracts
and even, to worsen the matter, as the sole controller
of local government administration, he is always at the
centre of attraction and wants to be seen as the lord
of everything. It is quite unfortunate that Fayose now
runs the PDP as his personal business, he runs down
virtually all those he believes are better than him; such
cannot be accepted by well meaning Ekiti people.

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