The capital of Ekiti State, stood still for several hours on Monday as party faithful, interest groups and members of the public welcome the newly registered mega party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).The flag of the new party was launched and hoisted amidst pomp and pageantry with the Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, calling on Nigerians to embrace the APC, which he said was put together to rescue Nigerians from bad governance, brigandage and systemic failure the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) represents.

Dr. Fayemi lowered the flag of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and hoisted that of the APC at the Governor’s Office and later at the headquarters of his campaign office in Ado-Ekiti. The state APC chairman, Chief Olajide Awe, performed the same ritual at the state secretariat of the party at Ajilosun area of Ado-Ekiti shortly after Governor Fayemi arrived from his office to the warm embrace of enthusiastic party members.The Governor was joined by his deputy, Prof. Modupe Adelabu, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Dr. Adewale Omirin and other government functionaries and party chieftains to welcome the new party.

The launch of the APC in Ekiti State was turned into a huge carnival as party members and members of the public who waved the broom-the symbol of the party-danced round the major streets of the party. The road show commenced shortly after Dr. Fayemi  had hoisted the APC flag at the Governor’s Office with a big procession of party leaders, Government officials and party faithful from all the 16 local government areas moving to the party secretariat.

Taxi drivers, commercial motorcycle and tricycle operators decorated their vehicles and bikes with the glossy posters of the new party. They sang the praises of Dr. Fayemi whom they acknowledged as a performer and transformer of Ekiti  to a state that has become the envy of other states in Nigeria with little available resources. Addressing a cheering crowd at his campaign headquarters before hoisting the APC flag, Dr. Fayemi described the birth of the new mega party as historic saying “history always starts in small bits and never come in a big bang”.He traced the origin of the APC to the political activities of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who criss-crossed the length and breadth of Nigeria spreading the gospel of progressivism and extending what the Yoruba had enjoyed to other parts of the country.

The Governor advised Nigerians to embrace the APC which he described as a party that is poised to effect a positive change in the polity saying the PDP has disappointed them and has failed to justify its 14-year hold on power at the centre. He noted that the PDP was afraid of change hence its employment of various tricks in the book to prevent the registration of the APC before the new party was eventually registered by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).The Governor said Nigerians are ready to reject the PDP at the next general election because the ruling party which controls government at the federal level has failed to provide electricity for Nigerians in the last 14 years and has superintended over the collapse of public infrastructures. He expressed dismay that under the watch of the PDP, funds meant for the good of all Nigerians are being diverted into private pockets while official corruption is on the increase because the party (PDP) never believes in probity, accountability and transparency.

Dr. Fayemi maintained that it is only the states under the control of the APC that are enjoying good governance and dividends of democracy like free education, free health services, solid infrastructure, transparency in governance, among others. Calling on Ekiti people to reject the PDP, Fayemi said the recent crisis and violence unleashed by members of the party over the process to select its candidate has shown that the PDP has nothing to offer the people of the state .He explained that resort to machetes and other dangerous weapons by the Ekiti PDP governorship aspirants and their supporters on the build-up to the emergence of their flag bearer was an indication that the party does not believe in true democracy.

Refuting the claims of some PDP chieftains that there is no difference between their party and the APC, Dr. Fayemi insisted that the APC was packaged to bring succour, progress, freedom, justice and development Nigerians have been yearning for since the nation’s return to civil rule in 1999.Dr. Fayemi said, “They are saying that we are the same and if we are the same, why are they scared? Why were they trying to block the emergence of the APC? Why the hand of Esau, the voice of Jacob?“The people they are using to block our emergence are issuing press releases from the PDP secretariat. We know those who paid their lawyers to file cases against the emergence of our party.“There is difference between the wheat and the chaff and you don’t plant an orange tree and expect to reap pears”.

The Governor charged party members to go back home and propagate the ideals and manifesto of the APC in a bid to win more members into the party from the grassroots.He said further: “I want to urge all our leaders and members to go back home and work hard to  win more members into our party, this is Awolowo’s party, Afenifere’s party and party for the progressives.“I want to tell all our leaders and members that this is a party that belongs to all; there is no senior member and there is no junior member because everybody is equal.“What will earn you leadership is the number of members you bring to the party and we must ensure that this party is rooted in our communities.“We are not going to discriminate against anybody including those in the party of the locust who have realized that they are on the road to perdition, we will welcome them into this new party which is on the road that leads to salvation.“Those that are still left in the party of the greedy are invited into our party because we are going to reform them and make them to embrace their ideals of the progressive party”.

Earlier in his address, the state APC Chairman Awe said the birth of the new party symbolized victory for the people of Ekiti State and Nigeria saying “APC will take everybody to the Promised Land.”While noting that the South West has always embraced the progressive ideals, Awe said the APC offers the vehicle to spread the ideals to other parts of the country still under the jackboots of the PDP. Describing the formation and registration of the APC as “dream come true”, Awe noted that the forbears of the new mega party had championed the coming together of people of like minds to rescue Nigerians from bad governance. Awe used the forum to declare that the party would field Dr. Fayemi as its flag bearer in the 2014 governorship poll in the state disclosing that the Governor will be presented with the APC flag as its candidate by October this year.“We have taken the decision not minding the antics of some people. No more ‘kukulaja’ in Ekiti”, Awe explained. The party boss canvassed unity among members and advised those yet to benefit from appointment and patronage that their time would come warning them not to rock the boat.-