Fayose sacks his former special assistant for voting for Atiku instead of Wike at PDP summit

FORMER Ekiti State governor Ayo Fayose has sacked Sunday Anifowose his former special assistant on stomach infrastructure for voting for Alhaji Atiku Abubakar instead of Nyesom Wike in the recent Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primaries.

Last weekend, the PDP held its primaries in Abuja and at the end of the gruelling contest, former vice president Atiku Abubakar emerged as the party's flagbearer. He polled 371 votes to Governor Wike's 237 votes, with none of the other aspirants really coming close to either of them.

Governor Fayose himself was on the ballot and received zero votes but this appears not to bother him as he was never in the running. What has irked the former governor is that Mr Anifowose, popularly known as Sunshine, voted for Atiku against his instructions to cast his vote, as an Ekiti State delegate for Governor Wike.

Mr Anifowose’s exit from Governor Fayose’s camp swells the number of loyalists that have deserted him citing one form of alleged betrayal or another. This list of the departed loyalists includes Hon Samuel Omotosho, his former personal physician, Barrister Dipo Anisulowo, his chief of staff during his second term as governor and most recently Professor Olusola Eleka, his deputy governor.

One Fayose camp source said: “Mr Fayose has sacked his personal assistant administration and special duties and former special assistant on stomach infrastructure, Hon Sunday Anifowose  for voting Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. This happened when Fayose sent an SOS message to some of his core supporters that Mr Sunshine should never be seen close to his NTS Hotel at Ado Ekiti henceforth, for daring to go against his order to vote for Rivers State governor, Mr Nyesom Wike.

“Fayose is still making his findings to know the number of delegates from Ekiti that flouted his order but since Sunshine’s vote for Atiku is clearly confirmed, Fayose has vowed to deal with him seriously for such action. This is despite the immediate verbal molestation and harassment of Sunshine on Saturday evening by Fayose at the Abuja hotel, where the state delegates were lodged.”