A socio-political group, the Ikere Ekiti Development Initiative (IEDI), has faulted renewed allegations surrounding the academic credentials of Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Mrs Monisola Christianah Afuye, describing them as a calculated attempt to destabilise the state’s political leadership and derail the BAO/MCA gubernatorial ticket.
This was revealed in a statement released and signed by the Convener of the group, Temitope Adeniyi, on Tuesday, in which the organisation accused some political actors in the state of deliberately stirring discord between Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji and his deputy for selfish political gains.
The group maintained that the certificate-related allegations against the deputy governor were neither new nor unresolved, stressing that the matter had been exhaustively investigated and legally settled during the 2022 governorship contest.
According to IEDI, two judgments of the Supreme Court had conclusively affirmed Mrs Afuye’s academic qualifications, rendering the renewed controversy baseless, malicious and politically motivated.
“The current campaign against the deputy governor has gone beyond academic qualifications and entered the realm of political blackmail,” the statement said, adding that Mrs Afuye’s performance in office had demonstrated competence, loyalty and a practical understanding of leadership beyond paper qualifications.
The group alleged that the attacks were being sponsored by individuals nursing deputy governorship ambitions as a pathway to contesting the governorship in the future, a strategy it described as unnecessary and historically unfounded in Ekiti State politics.
IEDI noted that none of the past or present governors of Ekiti State had served as deputy governors before assuming office, arguing that ambition could be pursued openly without resorting to propaganda or character assassination.
It further warned Governor Oyebanji to be cautious of what it described as “over-ambitious and retrogressive elements” whose actions, according to the group, could undermine political stability and effective governance in the state.
Defending the deputy governor, the group emphasised that Mrs Afuye had shown constitutional discipline by not encroaching on the authority of the governor, noting that critics often ignored the defined limitations of the office of deputy governor.
The statement added that the governor’s decision to retain Mrs Afuye as running mate for a second term reflected trust, loyalty and continuity, insisting that “one good term deserves another.”
While stating that it was not opposed to anyone’s political ambition, IEDI warned that it would resist any attempt to tarnish the image of the deputy governor through false accusations, adding that those involved risked public exposure if the campaign continued.
The group noted that it would closely monitor political developments in the state, cautioning that “those who live in glass houses should stop throwing stones.”
