Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari. Photo: Reuters
As countdown to the July 14 Ekiti State governorship poll continues, many beneficiaries of the Federal Government’s N-Power scheme in the state, yesterday, took to the streets to campaign for the Deputy Governor, Prof. Olusola Kolapo Eleka.
Governor Ayo Fayose had few months ago promised many of the beneficiaries in the state permanent jobs.
A mild drama played out as two factions of the N-Power beneficiaries: that of President Buhari and Governor Fayose; and that of Olusola, rallied for their benefactors.
While those for the All Progressives Congress (APC), campaigned for President Muhammadu Buhari, their colleagues displayed placards with inscriptions such as: ‘Fayose leads, we follow’, ‘Olusola Eleka for governor, 2018’, ‘Support continuity agenda’.
Those for President Buhari in turn appreciated him for the scheme. But supporters of Fayose and Olusola stressed that the governor has promised them permanent jobs, pointing out that they firmly believe the governor, and that if Olusola wins the election, they would be offered employment, because Fayose has been a promise keeper.
The drama began as early as 8:30 a.m. yesterday, when the about 3,000 beneficiaries gathered in front of the Ekiti State Teaching Hospital along Adebayo Road for the simultaneous Pro-Buhari and Pro-Fayose rallies.
The development almost resulted in a clash between the two factions. But security men on ground ensured there was no rancour, as each campaigned for their benefactor.
Another drama played out also at the accreditation centre when officials of N-Power wanted to prevent those loyal to Fayose from entering the venue, only to be overwhelmed by a huge crowd in support of Fayose, who eventually forced their way in.
Explaining why the beneficiaries loyal to Fayose joined in the rally, Ajibade Segun, a beneficiary, who was among those that supported Fayose and Olusola Eleka, said: “A few months ago, His Excellency, Dr. Peter Ayodele Fayose, invited us to Government House and promised N-Power beneficiaries in Ekiti permanent employment. This is why we are happy and came out to campaign for his deputy, Olusola Kolapo Eleka, and support the continuity agenda.
“We are telling the president that we don’t want just a temporary relief in the name of N-Power, we want permanent employment. We also want the number of beneficiaries of N-Power in Ekiti to be more than what we have presently. But most importantly, we want a permanent job like the governor has promised to give a good number of us.”
