Shekinat Abubakar
A member of the Ekiti State House of Assembly representing Irepodun-Ifelodun Constituency II, Hakeem Jamiu, has rejected claims that he endorsed Boluwatife Fayose, son of former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, as the consensus candidate for the constituency’s assembly seat ahead of the next electoral cycle.
He debunked the Reports making the round that him and other stakeholders endorsed Boluwatife during a constituency meeting held in Iworoko-Ekiti on March 14.
He stated this in a statement signed and made available to journalists in Ado-Ekiti on Monday.
The lawmaker clarified that although he attended the meeting, saying that he neither participated in nor supported any endorsement arrangement.
He maintained that he openly opposed what he described as a pre-arranged consensus move.
Jamiu described the alleged endorsement as “premature and preposterous,” stressing that the party had yet to release official guidelines for the primaries that would determine candidates for legislative positions.
“It is embarrassing for me as a sitting member of the House of Assembly to be invited to a constituency meeting in my constituency only to be conscripted by ambush into a pre-arranged consensus endorsement,” he said.
The lawmaker further argued that no official meeting had been convened to extend any consensus arrangement to legislative seats, adding that the process must follow due democratic procedures.
Jamiu also alleged that the meeting degenerated into violence, claiming he was assaulted by a ward councillor who pushed and rough-handled him while allegedly threatening his life.
Despite the development, he expressed confidence in the leadership of the All Progressives Congress, saying the party’s national leadership would ensure internal democracy and provide a level playing field for all aspirants seeking the party’s ticket.
