…Why Okada Operators Are At War With Him
It was a shocking spectacle last weekend as the self-styled Emperor of Ekiti State, Governor Ayodele Fayose allegedly caused a stir in Ado-Ekiti when he personally drove a white Hilux van into the Oja Oba Market through Okesa chasing off market women selling by roadsides and carting away their wares.
The drama took a turn for the bizarre, when Fayose, reportedly, jumped out of the vehicle and began to impound the wares displayed by the traders. It was gathered that even when one of the vehicles involved in the raid developed faults, the controversial governor was said to have supervised the men, who fastened the vehicle to another that drove it away from the scene of the raid. The women were reported to have wailed and cursed, but Fayose said he had no regret clearing them out of the streets.
Sources disclosed that Fayose was incensed when he learnt that the market women have been mobilizing support for the APC Presidential candidate, General Mohammadu Buhari. The controversial governor was reported to have met and expressed his concern to the market women leaders, pleading with them not to abandon him. However, rather than give Fayose their support, the market women leaders decided to mobilize support for Buhari. When the belligerent governor learnt of this development, he got angry and invariably, storm the market to carry out the raid.
The ELITES learnt that operators of Okada in the state capital are also locked in a battle with the governor. It was gathered that Fayose had banked on their support to chalk up the crowd at the rally during President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign rally in Ekiti State. Somehow, the operators chose to shun Fayose’s invitation to the rally, because they are unhappy with him, over his administration’s unfavorable policy on okada operations in the state. Thus, as the long convoy of President Jonathan departed the stadium, enroute Akure to Abuja, it was the chant of ‘Sai Buhari’, from hundreds of Okada operators that permeated the atmosphere.
An exasperated Fayose was reported to have felt humiliated by this display. It was gathered that, later in the evening, the governor sent his thugs to ‘visit’ the Okada operators at Okeyinmi Roundabout. The thugs descended on the operators, who kept shouting ‘Sai Buhari’, even as most of them got injured while trying to escape from the rampaging thugs.
Sources disclosed that most PDP party members are also angry with Fayose, for cutting them off the ‘largesse’ sent from Aso Rock, to mobilize support for the rally. Rather than ‘reach out’ to the party members, Fayose was said to have pocketed the money, and mandated the members go contribute money for the rally.
The ELITES learnt that Fayose has ordered his boys to remove Buhari’s posters in Ado-Ekiti. Quite interestingly, more of the posters resurface as soon as they are removed.