•  As BRT drivers embark on warning strike over salary

Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose yesterday hinted that he may quit the crisis-ridden Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before the 2018 governorship election.

Speaking during a meeting with the state Suppliers’ Association of Nigeria in Ikere-Ekiti, Fayose said  he would stop All Progressives Congress (APC) from taking over the state in 2018.

The governor told his audience he was studying the situation on which party he would move his political family.

Speaking on the defeat his party suffered last Saturday in Ondo State governorship poll, Fayose alleged that the electorate sold their votes.

“The scenario won’t repeat itself in Ekiti,” the governor boasted.

He said the victory of Rotimi Akeredolu did not confer legitimacy on the election or that the people voted rightly.

Fayose dumped the PDP ahead of the 2011 general election when he defected to  Labour Party (LP) to run for Ekiti Central senatorial seat. He was defeated by then Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) candidate Babafemi Ojudu.

Fayose returned to PDP in 2012 ahead of the 2014 governorship election in which he defeated Governor Kayode Fayemi.

Ekiti PDP is polarised; the exco loyal to Fayose is led by Gboyega Oguntuase, which belongs to Ahmed Makarfi faction.

The other exco loyal to Senator Buruji Kashamu belongs to Ali Modu Sheriff faction.

On his political future, Fayose said: “I don’t know the platform I will use for the 2018 election yet and at the appropriate time, I will tell you.

“We are still studying the situation. We have to play the game left, right and centre and whoever we are going to use and the platform, you will all be part of the process because politics is about the people.

“You saw how people sold their votes in Ondo State. I am confident that will not happen in Ekiti.  I am close to the people; you are the source of my strength.

“Even if it requires just 48 hours to any election, if I tell you where to go, you will surely follow me there.”

At another meeting with civil servants on Grade Levels 01-06, Fayose boasted that he would defeat the APC again in the 16 local governments, just as it happened on June 21, 2014.

He pledged to give priority to workers’ welfare, carrying them along on receipts from the Federation Account and bridging the communication gap with the workforce.

The governor added: “APC will be fooling itself if it thinks it will conquer Ekiti as it did Ondo. Ekiti is a peculiar place and I am the man on ground here.

“I want to assure my supporters and Nigerians that APC won’t win a local government here in 2018.

“Governor Olusegun Mimiko and Eyitayo Jegede might have lost in Ondo State, but that does not mean the people voted rightly.  In 2015, people clamoured for change and what have we got now? Nigerians are becoming poorer than ever.

“Today, I am the lone voice in Southwest. I am now like the nation of Israel surrounded by enemies, but I shall defeat and triumph over them.”

In the meantime, drivers of a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) franchise operator on the Agege-Oshodi, Berger-Ipyana-Ipaja and Agege-Ishaga routes yesterday went on a warning strike over alleged non-payment of their allowances.

The Safex kayways Transport workers said the strike became imperative because they could no longer fulfil their obligations.

The strike has, however been called off following management intervention.

A driver, who would not want his name mentioned, said he and his colleagues were protesting shoddy welfare package by the firm.

According to him, the drivers have been denied virtually all their allowances, the latest being the food allowance which the company stopped two months ago.

This, he said, was compounded by the delay in salary payment. He said the earlier they were paid was  the second week of a new month.

Many of the drivers, he said, were finding it difficult providing for their families.

He said his three children had been sent out of school because of his inability to pay their fees.

“While we are already discussing with them on the need to increase the salary, our immediate grievance was to make sure they pay what they had promised to be paying promptly, so that we would be able to meet our obligations to our family”, he said.

Management declined to comment on its intervention.

A transport manager (TM) said on phone: “We cannot comment on issues relating to the welfare of any member of staff.”

Nation