Ekiti 2014: l will cause stir in ACN, says Aluko
A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State, Senator Gbenga Aluko, has hinted that his emergence as governorship flag-bearer of the party will certainly upset the ruling Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) government in the state.
Featuring on a personality programme organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Correspondents’ (NUJ) Chapel tagged ‘Platform’, Aluko disclosed that he is a force to be reckoned with not only in the party but in the Ekiti State polity.
“My candidature will elicit confusion in Action Congress of Nigeria and in Governor Kayode Fayemi’s camp .If I win, Fayemi and members of the opposition are safe. I will protect them. I am a dreamer and not a hunter. This is part of the ways to rid our society of desperation, especially while contesting for elective positions”, Aluko assured
The former legislator also expressed support for the proposed six-year single term for elected presidents and governors, describing it as apt in a pseudo –democracy like Nigeria. Aluko traced the frequent political crises and rising criminality in the country to quest for power and ploy to retain power by political office holders.
According to him, single term option would not only stop wasteful spending, it would also allow elected officials to be more focused on governance. “2015 is about two years away, but recent activities in the political arena did not reflect this. The kind of struggle we have now is as if the election would be next year,” he added.
Aluko dismissed claims of being poor by some state governors who were in the lower
ladder in the revenue allocation, describing it as false and untenable while saying that what those administrators lacked is the ability to block leakages in the system.
“I don’t believe it is difficult to have a rail system in Ekiti. If you can block the leakages and bring moderation to governance, Ekiti cannot be a poor state. According to reports, Nigeria spent 59 million Dollars to import Champagne in 2012; this was part of the leakages”.
“When a President takes a budget that is prepared by civil servants to National Assembly, the passage is always very difficult because it’s like you are bringing a strange document.
“But if you involve them at the initial stage, especially in drafting process and compilation, then they would have been familiar with the contents and the passage will be easy,” Aluko said.
He maintained that it will be encouraging if the Peoples Democratic Party can henceforth apply consensus in the selection of candidates for all elective positions, including councillorship.
Aluko, who said he is not desperate for the governorship position, pledged that he would support any candidate that emerges through consensus in Ekiti , though with an appeal that the party should adhere strictly to the agitations for zoning of the position to the Southern Senatorial District.
He said he would devise means of blocking what he termed ‘Corruption Quotient’ in governance if elected the governor in 2014, to be able to amass enough revenue for the state to execute massive road construction, revolutionise agriculture, railway system and youth empowerment in Ekiti State.
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