A former Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State, Jide Awe, has faulted ex-Governor Kayode Fayemi for his remarks on members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who have recently shown sympathy for, or associated with, the ruling party in the state.

Fayemi, while speaking at an APC stakeholders’ meeting in Iyin Ekiti on Friday, reaffirmed his loyalty to the APC and declared support for Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s re-election bid.

The former governor downplayed PDP’s relevance, saying, “I heard there is a party called PDP in this state, but you can see how they are running after us. I saw images from the event you (Oyebanji) had in Abuja and I saw some people claiming that they are PDP but have come to associate with us.

“So, in a sense, Ekiti has become a one-party system. Yes, it is. But ‘Omo mo baba e’ (a child knows its father)… Let’s be clear, the governor may be doing his tiwa n tiwa (inclusive politics), Iru wa, ogiri wa (all-comers), but I am an APC person.”

Reacting, Awe described Fayemi’s comments as derogatory to PDP members warming up to the APC.

He told Punch, “If such a statement (iru wa, ogiri wa) should come from a former governor of the state in the same party, it’s unfortunate. As one of the leaders of this party, I take exception to it. Politics is a war you win with people, not with weapons.

“If people are coming to our party voluntarily, it means they have seen something good in us. They are human beings who appreciate our programmes. You can’t drive them away. It’s better to have them with us, and if you do that, it will be better for the state.”

The APC chieftain also cautioned against returning to what he described as the “terrible intrigues” that rocked Ekiti politics between 2007 and 2010.

“We will not do that again. We want peace. If PDP people are coming to us, it is better for us. You should not use derogatory language on those who love us.

“Somebody (Oyebanji) has come in as a gentleman and started straightening the roots of all those things that had been bastardised. A bit of development is coming to Ekiti. It is now you want intrigue?” he queried.

Awe further used a Yoruba metaphor to drive home his point, “In Yoruba parlance, iru (locust beans) and ogiri (fermented melon) are condiments that, when mixed, produce a sumptuous meal. We will mix iru and ogiri together and make good soup.”

On the 2026 governorship primaries, Awe described internal contestations as natural, saying they would not derail the party’s prospects.

He said, “Our expectation in APC is that come October 27 we are winning the primary, and by June 20, 2026, we are winning the state back and Oyebanji will continue with his work.

“There should be struggle within the party, but once the primaries are done, everybody will come together.”

Awe reiterated that APC members must not alienate opposition sympathisers crossing over to the party.

“If Oyebanji’s style is to reach out to opposition and silence them, it’s a political tactic. But it is not for us within to use derogatory words on those who love us. Some of us take exception to it,” he added.