The All Progressives Congress and Peoples Democratic Party conclude their governorship primary election in Ekiti. Now two candidates, Prof. Kolapo Olusola-Eleka and Dr. Kayode Fayemi, draw the line in the sand for the soul of Ekiti as the July 14 governorship election draws closer
All eyes were on Ekiti on Saturday 12 May 2018 when the All Progressives Congresss (APC) conducted its primary election for the second time. The first was cancelled because of violence. That night, the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi, emerged winner, polling 941 votes to defeat the other 31 aspirantsm including a former governor of the state, Chief Segun Oni (Deputy National Chairman, South), who scored 481 votes.
Chairman of the Primary Election Committee, Gov. Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa, who announced the result of the election, added that Mr Kayode Ojo scored 281; Mr Femi Bamisile, 179 and Sen. Gbenga Aluko, 86 votes. He released the figures further that former Deputy Whip of the Senate, Sen. Ayo Arise got two votes; Akerele Oluyinka, 11 and Mr Bamidele Opeyemi, eight votes. A former House of Representatives member, Mr Daramola Bimbola, polled 28; Mr Fatoba Joseph, 43; Mr Kolade Victor, 16 and Dr Oluyede Oluwole, 121 votes.In his victory speech, Fayemi said he was delighted over the victory, and assured that he would work with all other aspirants, who lost in the primary election. “I am delighted to have won the party’s primary election, and I am also happy because the delegates voted for me. It shows that they believe so much in my abilities to change the lives of the Ekiti people to better compare with what they are currently experiencing. All other aspirants are my friends and colleagues, and I am going to work with them to ensure that our great party emerges winner in the forthcoming gubernatorial election,” he said.
Fayemi in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ado-Ekti, said that he was delighted with the smooth running of the voting exercise. “I can see that delegates from the 11 local government have cast their votes and there was no fraudulent acts or riot, everything is going on smoothly.” Delegates from 16 local government areas of Ekiti state voted for 33 aspirants who were cleared by the party for the primary election, but one of them, Mr Babafemi Ojudu, withdrew on Wednesday, leaving 32 aspirants in the race.”
Speaking in an interview shortly after the voting exercise, Al-Makura, described the exercise as peaceful and successful. “We did everything in compliance and conformity with the party’s guidelines; now that the voting is completed, we are going into sorting and this will be very transparent. Having experienced the first task last week, I met with all the aspirants on Friday and they all assured that the exercise will be peaceful, that they are not ready to take anything for granted. You could see the commitment and passion in the aspirants; they all lived to their promise and that is the result of the peace we recorded today,” he said.
On the other hand, Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Prof. Kolapo Olusola-Eleka emerged the winner of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary election on 8 May 2018. A total of 1,968 delegates were accredited and voted at the primary poll. Out of the total of number of votes, as announced by leader of PDP electoral committee, Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta, Eleka scored 1,190 to defeat the only challenger in the race, a former Minister of Works, Mr Dayo Adeyeye, who scored 771 votes. Despite the fact that Mr Dayo Adeyeye, who left the venue at about 8p.m, accepted the outcome of the primary election, which he agreed was conducted under free and fair atmosphere, he began to sing another tune the second day, claiming that the election was highly choreographed. He added that Governor Ayodele Fayose did not allow him to campaign. The deputy governor, who praised Gov. Ayo Fayose for standing by him, vowed to defeat Fayemi in the coming July 14 governorship election in the state.
Reconciliation Promises in APC and PDP
Platitudes started flying around among members of the two parties. In PDP, Fayose promised to embark on “meaningful reconciliation by reaching out to aggrieved party leaders, especially the duo of Dayo Adeyeye and Mrs Abiodun Olujimi, so that the PDP in the state can be a united house once again.”
Also, Fayemi, the APC candidate, according to a press statament signed by Yinka Oyebode, his Special Adviser (Media), urged his supporters to bury any differences they might have against anybody, stressing that henceforth “the party would work together as one big family in the onerous task of dislodging the PDP-led administration in the state.”
In his words: “If you really want us to succeed in in the quest to form the next government in the state, I urge you all not to carry over pre-primary hostilities in your relationship with my co-contestants and their supporters. We are one big family. We cannot all win in an election. But one thing I know is that all the contestants are eminent Ekiti sons and daughters who are qualified to govern the state better than the present occupier of the office.
He added: “Therefore as we go into the election, we must see ourselves as members of the same family who deserve mutual respect. No more social media and verbal attacks henceforth. Our only enemy is the PDP. Note that the opposition tried all tricks to cause maximum damage to our inter-personal relationships but they failed to achieve their aim as manifested in the success of the primary. I want to plead with you not to help them to achieve their aim. We have a big job to do to reclaim our state and that should be your focus so that we can succeed in the restoration of our dignity and provide good life for our people again.”
Strategies by Both Parties to Woo Ekiti Electorate
Now, the state is ready for the July 14 election and both parties are adopting different strategies to win. Since chest beating is part of war, Fayose has come out full trottle! In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Idowu Adelusi, Fayose said: “In 2014 when Fayemi was the sitting governor and I was not in power, I trounced him mercilessly. I gave him 16 – 0, defeating him in all the 16 local governments, including in his home town, Isan Ekiti, he did not win a single local government. Now, I have been in power for more than three years and have served the people of Ekiti well. My legacy projects are there to speak for me, and for my party the PDP, as well as for our candidate in the July 14 governorship election, Prof. Kolapo Olusola-Eleka. I promise that Fayemi will suffer the worst defeat of his political career. after the July 14 election, he will not only suffer embarrassing defeat, he will go into political oblivion afterwards
Fayose boasted further: “Fayemi has nothing to celebrate because of the electoral disaster awaiting him. The manner of his so-called victory also leaves much to be desired as it has turned many of their party leaders and followers against him. To those who may not know, Fayemi’s victory has made the condition of APC worse in Ekiti. The party leaders and members know that Fayemi has no use for any of them beyond the July 14election”, Fayose said. He appealed to those he claimed were trampled by Fayemi, especially those of them who were members of PDP, to return ‘home.’
“PDP is your natural habitat. This is the time for you to escape from the APC’s sinking boat and return home to a rousing welcome. We also invite other politicians not satisfied with the parlous state of affairs of our nation to join hands with PDP to rescue our nation. APC is falling apart everywhere, the party, which was dead before in Ekiti, has now been buried with Fayemi’s victory. Fayemi is the final nail on APC’s coffin in Ekiti. He may deceive them in Abuja but he is a paper weight at home. His arrogance alienates Ekiti people and any serious politician from him. He will meet his political waterloo on July 14.”
Fayemi did not allow Fayose’s missile to hit his camp before intercepting it mid-air. Fayemi issued a quit notice to Fayose and Eleka, saying: “We have seen a cynical approach to politics that exploits the penury of the poor and the vulnerability of the marginalised. We have seen the entrenchment of the disdain for elders, traditional institutions, and all forms of constituted authorities.
“Instead of continuing the quest for freedom from ignorance, disease and want, what we have seen is a paradigm that deepens captivity to these ills. In short, the last four years has called into question all that we stand for as a people. The timeless values of honour, dignity, nobility and civility encapsulated in the Omoluabi ethos have been eroded.”
Fayose’s Choice of Candidate and Fayemi’s Federal Might
Fayose believes that he is closer to the people than the intellectual Fayemi. And to balance the “bookish equation”, he made sure that a professor emerged as PDP candidate. Apart from that, Eleka is from Ikere Ekiti, Ekiti South Senatorial District that has been complaining of madinalisation over the years. Ikere is a highly populated town and it is expected to give the PDP electoral advantage with the hope that Emure, Ise and Igbara Odo Ekiti will join Eleka/Fayose’s voting train.
Fayose pulled another fast one by bringing Eleka’s deputy governorship candidate, Kazeem Deji Ogunsakin, 39, from Ado Ekiti. He is the immediate past Chairman of Ado Local Government, an economist and banker. “Furthermore, it is our belief that Ado Ekiti, being the state capital with the largest voting population, deserves consideration for the deputy governorship position,” the party said. He is the son of the late Alhaji Bello Ogunsakin, a prominent muslim leader and a rich businesman in Ado Ekiti. The late Alhaji was a friend of Alhaji Jimoh Ojudu, Senator Babafemi Ojudu’s late father.
Fayose also flaunts the dual carriage roads he has built, connecting Ado Ekiti with Ikere; the overhead bridge in Ado and other infrastructure. His pastime of stopping by the road side to eat with the masses, and ride on commercial motor bikes are some of his actions that people claim help to demistyfy the office of governor, compared with Fayemi who many Ekiti indigenes call “Bashorun Gaa”.
On the other hand, Fayemi believes governance goes beyond drinking sachet water or palmwine by the road side. To him, governence is serious business. He is ready to compare is welfare package of N5,000 weekly, to Fayose’s 10-month salary arrears that workers in the state talk about.
Not a few political analysts believe that just as Fayose used federal might to defeat Fayemi in 2014, now it is pay back time as Fayemi too may use the same advantage.
Will the governorship election be peaceful in Ekiti in July 14? The nation is watching.
