It’s back to the trenches for Ekiti political gladiators as Governor Kayode Fayemi squares up with former governor of the state, Ayo Fayose, in the run up to the governorship election in the state. KEHINDE OSASONA revisits their rivalry and the battle of the anointed staring them in the face.
The 2022 governorship election in Ekiti state would no doubt bring back old rivalry between political foes and gladiators that has characterised elections in the state also known as Fountain of Knowledge.
This time around, it would not just be a fight between Godfathers only, but also the anointed.
The duo of former Governor Ayodele Fayose and the incumbent, Governor Kayode Fayemi, will again test their might as was the case in 2014 and 2019.
While Fayose is supporting former Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Bisi Komolafe, to clinch the party’s ticket; Fayemi has pitched his tent with his Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Biodun Oyebanji also own as BAO.
It is common knowledge that though Fayose won the 2014 governorship election it was not an easy ride for him in 2018 when he attempted to slug it out with the incumbent governor.
Fayose, who polled 203,090 votes, also won the highest number of votes in all the 16 local government areas of the state.
The incumbent, Fayemi of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who was his closest challenger, came a distant second with 120,433 votes, while the candidate of the Labour Party (LP), now an APC aspirant, Opeyemi Bamidele, received a paltry 18,135 votes.
In 2018, while granting a television interview, Fayose was so sure of victory that he boasted repeatedly about his popularity among Ekiti people coupled with political records he had broken.
“With all humility before Ekiti people, if I support anybody, whether it is from my household, they will still support that person. I am telling you; I am more than popular with my people.
“I’ve said it several times, I am the first Ekiti son to win and defeat two incumbents in this country at two different attempts. My name is Ayo Peter Fayose. Despite all the wars they waged against me, I’m the first Ekiti son to become governor twice,” he had boasted.
However, contrary to Fayose’s boasts, the PDP lost the election as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced the candidate of the APC, Kayode Fayemi, winner having polled 197,459 votes to beat Eleka, who polled 178,121 votes.
Keen followers of political events in the state described the election that brought back Fayemi as ‘pay-back time’ for the incumbent when in the 2019 election he did not only bounced back, he also demystified Fayose’s dominance and acclaimed popularity.
Fayemi did not only win his polling unit, Ogilolo Unit 09, Isan Ekiti for President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Assembly candidates, he recorded 182 votes to defeat the PDP which had five votes in his abode.
Although Fayose also delivered his St. David Primary School, Afao Ekiti, Unit 001 for Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, with the PDP garnering 225 votes while the APC got 82 votes, it was not enough to change anything.
Squaring up
Now that Fayose anointed aspirant, Bisi Kolawole, has emerged the candidate of the PDP for the June 18 governorship election in Ekiti state, analysts have tagged the forthcoming political battle as ‘showdown in Ekiti’.
While endorsing Kolawole, the former governor had described him as a bridge-builder who will usher in a better future for Ekiti and the PDP.
“The man you have come to honour, Bisi Kolawole, is our collective project. I made him my preferred candidate in the overall interest of our party, but this does not foreclose due process of nomination in PDP,” Fayose said.
Blueprint Weekend recalls that at the last governorship election, Fayose supported his former deputy, Sola Eleka, to be governor but both failed woefully as the Fayemi-led APC thwarted their aspirations.
However, as both parties renew rivalry ahead of the election; our Correspondent learnt that the self-acclaimed Generalismo of Ekiti politics has dumped Eleka over an irreconcilable differences.
Similarly, a party source has it that Eleka got into Fayose’s bad book shortly after the governorship election, just as both party have not reached out to other ever since.
This medium further gathered that it may not be a roller-coaster for Fayose after all, as he would not only be contending with Fayemi but also has another former Governor, Chief Segun Oni, to contend with.
In a chat with Blueprint Weekend, a stalwart of the PDP in Ekiti, Mr Jacob Ashaolu, said what was in the offing for former governor Fayose ws huge, as he had many hurdles to cross.
When probed further, he divulged to this medium that former governor Oni was spearheading a powerful Third Force cum Grand Coalition against Fayose and his anointed candidate.
Oni, who also lost out at the recent PDP governorship primary election, is reportedly using the Third Force to get as his ‘pound of flesh’ from Fayose, having cried foul over alleged irregularities that plagued PDP primary election.
“I scooped that former Governor Fayose’s deputy, Eleka, may have incurred his wrath when he allegedly worked against the former governor by supporting Governor Seyi Makinde, who is perceived as Fayose’s political foe.
“But honestly speaking, I don’t know why Fayose and Eleka fell apart but his rejection of Eleka may be one of the reasons the majority of Ekitis are now against him.
“Consequently, a powerful third force in form of a coalition has emerged through Segun Oni alongside aggrieved PDP aspirants who will likely shake Ekiti,” Ashaolu said.
Confirming the development in a statement titled: ‘Journey to Liberate Ekiti’ and signed by Hon. Yemi Arokodare, the Coalition stated that the group may form a political party.
The statement noted that social paper work was being perfected in that regard and the outcome would soon be made public.
“…I wish to joyfully announce to you that to the glory of God and for the benefit of Ekiti people, a Grand Coalition has been formed, and the lead platform (party) for the for the new coalition has been secured.
“We are currently working doing the paperwork, and we will officially announce it to the public,” the statement sighted by our C=correspondent stated partly.
Meanwhile, at the primary election penultimate week, Kolawole, who is former governor Fayose’s preferred aspirant, garnered 671 votes to trounce his closest rival, former governor Oni, who scored 330 votes and other aspirants.
Similarly, Governor Fayemi’s anointed aspirant, Biodun Oyebanji, beat other APC governorship aspirants to come first on the strength of the support from governor and party stakeholders in the state.
While declaring the result of the APC governorship primary election, Chairman of the committee and Governor of Jigawa state, Badaru Abubakar, said Oyebanji, who is Governor Fayemi’s ‘anointed’, scored 101,703 to defeat seven other aspirants.
It is, however, worth noting that other aspirants on the platform of the party had withdrawn from the exercise while election was songoing.
Those who withdrew include former governorship aspirant, Kayode Ojo; former Minister of Works, Demola Popoola; Senator Dayo Adeyeye; House of Representatives member, Femi Bamisile; Bamidele Faparusi; Senator Opeyemi Bamidele; and Afolabi Oluwasola.
This is as the aggrieved aspirants had promised to stay in the party to redress the injustice meted out to them at the controversial primary.
One of the arrowheads, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele was quoted as saying he would remain in the party and continue to make the APC hierarchy understand that the primary was packaged by ‘the power that be’ in Ekiti political firmament to suit a sinister purpose.
Not comfortable with the fuss generated by the election, the Coordinator, Aramoko 03 Ekiti West, Mr. Adebola Johnson Oluwatoyin, told our correspondent in an interview that the lawmaker (Bamidele) by all ramifications appeared to be the most prepared for the job.
The party, according to him, was lucky to have quality aspirants, who he insisted could beat any candidate from the PDP any day. So, we have a very strong first 11 because we don’t settle for mediocrity.
He regretted, however, that the outcome of the primary may had set the state back, stating that the party may not be able to forge a common front at the election where political foes would be waiting to feast on the ruling party’s travail.
“In Ekiti APC, we are all one but my greatest concern has been how to heal the wounds. The emergence of Oyebanji after the purported primary election has raised a lot of eye browse and I doubt if the ruling party and stakeholder are doing the needful to heal the wounds.
“Don’t forget that Bamidele has been around for a long time. Aside that, he possesses rich and needed credentials, couple with experiences garnered in both the executive and legislative arms of government to fly our party’s flag.
“More importantly, he is a loyal party man who stood by the incumbent Governor Fayemi as campaign coordinator and almost lost his life during Fayemi’s bid to return as Ekiti governor when he was allegedly shot accidentally by a cop.
“So, for me, with the greatest respect to all other aspirants, who are all very qualified for the job, I think Senator Bamidele has paid his due and the party and our working and dutiful governor must have a rethink and do the needful in the general interest of the party and Ekiti people who have long yearned for Bamidele to be their governor.”
With about 122 days to the governorship election in Ekiti state, coupled with what has been playing out across parties line, pundits in Ekiti politics wonder how the two gladiators, Governor Fayemi and former Governor Fayose, intend to scale hurdles before them.
An Ekiti state-based Political Analyst, Akin Olutuase, has expressed the view that; “Before squaring up to prove their mettles once again, the two prominent politicians according to him would leave a lasting legacy by not inciting Ekiti into a violent election.”
