A member of the Ekiti State House of Assembly representing Irepodun Ifelodun Constituency II, Rt. Hon. Hakeem Jamiu, has distanced himself from the reported endorsement of Mr. Boluwatife Fayose as the consensus candidate for the constituency ahead of the forthcoming legislative primaries.
Jamiu, in a statement issued on Sunday, said reports circulating online claiming that he supported the purported endorsement at a constituency meeting held in Iworoko on Saturday, March 14, were misleading and did not reflect his position during the gathering.
According to the lawmaker, although he attended the meeting, he neither participated in nor supported the endorsement, adding that he made his position clear during the deliberations and in a subsequent interview with journalists.
He explained that the party leadership had not adopted a consensus arrangement for the selection of candidates for the State and National Assembly primaries. Jamiu noted that the consensus option earlier discussed by stakeholders only applied to chairmanship and councillorship positions during a meeting held at Jibowu Hall in Government House.
The lawmaker described the alleged endorsement as premature, maintaining that the party was yet to release official guidelines for the conduct of primaries to elect candidates for legislative positions.
He further stated that as a sitting member representing the constituency, it was embarrassing to be invited to what he described as a constituency meeting only to be confronted with what appeared to be a pre arranged endorsement exercise.
Jamiu also alleged that the meeting turned tense after he was assaulted by a ward councillor who, according to him, pushed and rough handled him while issuing threats against his life during the altercation.
He urged his supporters and associates to disregard insinuations linking him with the endorsement, insisting that consensus must involve the agreement of all stakeholders and that such conditions were not met at the Iworoko meeting. He expressed confidence that the All Progressives Congress would ensure internal democracy and provide a level playing field for all aspirants in the forthcoming primaries.