Ministerial nominee: Daramola’s widow petitions Yar’Adua

The widow of Ayo Daramola, the murdered former Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate in Ekiti‘s State, Kehinde, has sent a petition to President Umaru Yar‘Adua to protest the candidature of the Ekiti State ministerial nominee, Mr. Ropo Adesanya.
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Mrs. Daramola

In the petition dated July 16, 2007, which was supported by an affidavit sworn to at the registry of Ikeja High Court on Monday, Mrs. Daramola contended that Adesanya, the PDP Chairman in the state was not ”a fit and proper person” to be appointed as a minister.
Mrs. Daramola based her objection on the alleged involvement of the nominee in the assassination of her husband, who was killed on August 14, 2006 in Ekiti State.
She also accused Adesanya of having invited her late husband to Ijan-Ekiti where Daramola was eventually tracked down and killed by assailants whose identities had remained unknown till date.
She alleged that PDP lost the last election in Ijan-Ekiti because of the ‘action’ of Adesanya.
Copies of the petition were also sent to the Chairman of the PDP‘s Board of Trustees, former President Olusegun Obasanjo; President of the Senate, Senator David Mark; Chairman of the PDP, Dr. Ahmadu Ali; the Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mike Okiro; and the office of the Director of the State Security Service.
In the four-paragraph petition, Mrs. Daramola, wrote, ”I am Mrs. Kehinde Daramola, the wife of late Dr. Ayo Daramola who was murdered by the Governor Ayo Fayose‘s administration. My husband, a PDP staunch member was Governorship aspirant for PDP.
”It was Mr. Ropo Adesanya who lured my husband to come to Ijan-Ekiti because my husband had earlier cried out that Mr. Ayo Fayose was after his life and was reluctant to go to Ekiti. Mr. Ropo Adesanya is a prime suspect and the matter is still with the Police and the court.
”The whole town is still grieved by the death of my husband. Mr. Ropo Adesanya cannot go to the town much less winning for PDP in that town. His action caused PDP to lose in Ijan-Ekiti.
”For the good of the entire Ekiti people and the PDP, Ropo Adesanya is not a fit and proper person to represent Ekiti State at the federal cabinet. He is not the sort of person PDP should put up”.
Asked to substantiate the allegation against Adesanya, the widow told our correspondent on the phone that the nominee had some discussions with her husband prior to his assasination.
According to her, “He called my husband on Saturday. He denied that he talked to my husband. Why did he deny it? Which means he has something up his sleeves.
“I was there when he was talking to my husband. When he called him, I didn’t know he was the one on the line but at the end of the conversation, my husband told me he just finished talking to Ropo Adesanya. And we don’t have two Ropo Adesanyas that I know of. So, why did he deny it that he talked to my husband?” she queried.
Mrs. Daramola said further, “Let us go to Celtel or MTN or one of the three GSM networks my husband was using. Let them trace the calls my husband made on that Saturday.”
Meanwhile, widespread opposition has greeted Adesanya’s choice as the replacement for the dropped ministerial nominee for the state, Chief Dayo Adeyeye on Monday.
Apart from the petitions that had been dispatched to the Senate President, hundreds of youths mobilised themselves to Abuja on Monday to protest at the Senate, against the impending screening of Adesanya by the upper legislative chamber.
The president of the Ijan-Ekiti Progressive Youth Alliance, Mr. Ojo Olayemi, said Adesanya‘s antecedents and activities made him unqualified to serve in the high profile and untainted Yar’Adua’s administration.
In a related development, the PDP leaders in Ekiti State on Monday made last-minute efforts to restore Adeyeye’s name as the state‘s ministerial nominee.
The elders, comprising Retired Justice Edward Ojuolape, Senator Lawrence Agunbiade and Dr. Ife Arowosoge, wrote the president to reconsider Adeyeye in the spirit of the Unity Government that his administration was trying to nurture.
According to the elders, “Adeyeye emerged after a close scrutiny and and interview of many candidates available for the post.”
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