…to unveil multipurpose vehicle for #Ijobamekunu advocacy
By Ibrahim Sheriff (Gold)
A former Chairman of Ekiti Local Government, Kwara state, Comrade Ayeni Yinka Dallas has said he was not coerced to join the All Progressive Congress, APC but rather, his decision to defect to the ruling party is a willful decision.
Ayeni, who made this disclosure while addressing a press conference at the Kwara state NUJ Press center, Ilorin Thursday, said “Ater carefully reviewing reactions and counter reactions that has continued to trail my official defection to the Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq-led ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State, it is expedient I set the records straight and put the rumour mills to bed once and for all.
“It is preposterous to posit that I, Comr. Yinka Dallas was forced to defect to the APC under the able leadership of Gov. Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq. I am too pragmatic to be forced into any decision, no thoroughbred Comrade can be forced, blackmailed or cajoled to do what he is not truly or progressively convinced about, except relying on independently verifiable parameters”, he added. .
The former local government boss said as a “Complete product of struggle, who have lived a life that always demanded making hard and often controversial decisions.
“I stand here on my honour to confirm that, having dissect the activities of the present government of Kwara state, with respects to its pro-masses policies and programmes, demystification of governance and above all prioritization of infrastructural turnaround of the good people of Ekiti local government, I choose to queue behind Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq-led Kwara state APC”, he affirmed.
“It is not part of my personality traits to succumb to undue pressure or coercion to do whatever I am not convinced within myself is right to do. This is evident at the first instance of defection of my colleagues from other local governments to the APC.”
“I am too pragmatic to be forced into any decision, no thoroughbred Comrade can be forced, blackmailed or cajoled to do what he is not truly or progressively convinced about, except relying on independently verifiable parameters.”
“It would be recalled I was the last of the 16 local government Chairmen who decamped to the APC, it was because of my then ongoing wide consultations.”
“Records of my press releases, appearance on radio and television of my refusal to be cajoled or forced to join the bandwagon of decampment without proper consultation of relevant stakeholders, assessment of the performance of the Governor we are decamping to align with and most importantly, the provision of dividends of democracy to the good people of Ekiti local government area of Kwara State, which is the sole purpose of my joining partisan politics in the first place, is public knowledge and suffices to the fact that I can’t be pushed over.”
Ayeni mentioned AbdulRazaq’s youths inclusion in governance, various infrastructural turnarounds in his (Ekiti) local government among others, as major turn-on that made him come out in the open to identify with the present government and offer his know-how in support of the government.
He also said he will be volunteering to take the Isenlo and Ijoba Mekunu agenda of Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to nooks and crannies of the State through a soon to be unveiled multipurpose vehicle.
Notable politicians from Kwara South who joined Comrade Ayeni at the press conference includes Prince Ladi Omole, former Isin LG Chair, Fatai Labaka, former Ifelodun LG Chair and Rt. Hon. Quadri Olalere, a former Speaker, Irepodun local government and Chairman, Kwara state Councilors forum.
