House of Representatives member and Labour Party (LP) governorship aspirant in Ekiti State, Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele, formally declared his intention to contest the governorship of the state in the 2014 election, expressing readiness to tap from the experiences of former governors of the state.
Bamidele said he was ready to work with former Governors Segun Oni, Ayo Fayose and Evangelist Bamidele Olumilua and Kayode Fayemi, so that he could tap from their wealth of experience for the transformation of the state.
The governorship hopeful, who spoke during his formal admission to the LP after defecting from the All Progressives Congress (APC), declared the party’s readiness to take over power from the APC controlled state government in 2014.
Describing Fayemi as an outgoing governor, Bamidele said: “I am ready to work with him as a former governor when I get to office in 2014. Fayemi has tried his best. I will give that to him.
“But the best anybody can do is his best. I am contesting because I can do better than he (Fayemi) has done. I will complete all his ongoing projects. I will invite him to the commissioning of such projects,” he said.
Bamidele, who was confident that he would emerge the governorship candidate in the party’s primary and eventually win the 2014 governorship, assured that he would ensure all stakeholders in the state mattered and as well ensure democracy at the grassroots.
At the event graced by PDP leaders, including the National Chairman, Mr. Dan Nwanyanwu; former Steel and Power Minister, Dr Olu Agunloye; and Ondo State Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, represented by his Chief of Staff, Dr Kola Ademujimi; the LP leaders lamented that Ekiti was backward in view of the inexperience of its governors.
Mimiko, who said Bamidele had got the necessary experience with which he could take the state to the promised land, appealed to Ekiti people to vote for LP to stop having inexperienced people as governor.
He said: “Experience, they say, is the best teacher. Everything is working in Ondo State because of the experience I had over the years. I served as commissioner in the old Ondo State. I served as Federal Minister before I was elected the Governor. So, Opeyemi Bamidele had served as commissioner for eight years in Lagos State and had acquired the experiences.