May 15, (THEWILL) – With about a month to the governorship election in Ekiti State, political parties have already started campaigning across the nooks and crannies of the state, soliciting votes from the electorate through open rallies and Town Hall meetings with various stakeholders.
It was however gathered that though there are 16 aspirants holding forth for the various political parties, some of the aspirants for the Ekiti top job are as dumb as the political parties they represent.
As it stands, the June 18 contest will obviously be a fierce one between the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), represented by former Chief of Staff to the Governor, Biodun Oyebanji; the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), with former State Chairman of the party, Bisi Kolawole, as arrowhead; the African Democratic Party (ADC), led by Dr Wole Oluyede and the Social Democratic Party, (SDP), led by former Governor Segun Oni.
The APC and its torchbearer, Oyebanji, are wrapping their victory joker in the power of incumbency, that is, the fact that they have the incumbent government’s support. This was obvious in the deployment of state resources and manpower to provide colourful outings that can bequeath a soft landing to victory for their candidate, Oyebanji.
Oyebanji, who is from the Central Senatorial zone of the state, a district that has led for 12 out of the 23 democratic years of Ekiti State, has been campaigning on the achievements of the current government in the state, led by Dr Kayode Fayemi. The northern zone will cover for the remaining 11 years with the completion of Fayemi’s second term in October. This has spurred agitation for a shift of power to the south, which has never produced any governor, in the coming election.
To pacify the South, APC has made overtures to the beleaguered people by picking the deputy to Oyebanji from Ikere, a major town in the southern senatorial district, in the person of Mrs. Monisola Christiana Afuye.
Bisi Kolawole of the PDP is from Efon, in the Central District of Ekiti State. Kolawole is the political son of maverick politician and former Ekiti State governor, Ayo Fayose. He was formerly the State Chairman of his party.
The emergence of Kolawole as governorship candidate of the PDP was deemed as controversial by Segun Oni, who felt shortchanged by the process that produced the former. Talk of clout or popularity, Kolawole seems to score low points in that arena.
But the Efon-born politician is relying heavily on the street popularity of Fayose, which is unquestionable. Talk of a governor who has made himself very available to the people of Ekiti, there is none like Fayose. He is seen by some as a man of the people, a friend of the oppressed and an outspoken governor, daring, combative and resolute on the side of the people. To some Ekiti people, particularly the illiterate and lowly, which forms the bulk of the electorate, Fayose is the ideal governor. He can walk in the street bare footed, drink local gin with Okada riders and eat on the streets.
Dr Wole Oluyede, of the ADC is much talked about as one politician that may hit the accurate mark in the coming election, judging by the high points trailing his candidature. Barring the fact that he is not a home-grown politician, which is a plus in some quarters where the current order is seen as hellish, he stands tall among other contestants.
He is also a menace to the grassroots politicians who wonder why he pulls so many crowds and a domineering political followership despite living far away in Australia.
A political analyst has described Oluwole as an “uncelebrated grassroots politician, who spends time, energy and money to attend to his people, particularly the lowly and the indigent, most of who are armed with his contact number and are sure of response anytime they call him”.
In all, there are three things working for Oluyede as a politician: Humility, passion and philanthropism. To a man who is known to be a successful professional, accomplished investor, influential and wealthy, his unfettered relationship with the masses and the massive support he is getting in return from that circle has grown from envy to hatred in the camp of his peer.
Chief Segun Oni of the SDP is regarded as a third force behind APC and PDP. But a recent independent survey carried out even placed him second after the APC candidate, Oyebanji.
Many who applauded his leadership style in 2007 are however beginning to doubt if the Oni they knew then is still the same Oni of today. To many juggernauts, Oni lacks a firm approach to party matters and he is seemingly very feeble on political principles. For instance, he was quick to congratulate Bisi Kolawole when he was defeated in the PDP primary, only to turn around a few days later, due to pressure from his political allies, to condemn the process. Oni also rushed to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) moments later before he recently found a place in the SDP. But the way he is pulling crowds at campaign rallies has raised his hope of becoming the next governor.
Threat of Violence
As the campaign continues, so do the signs of violence increase each day. The SDP governorship Candidate, Mr Segun Oni, was allegedly attacked by political thugs from the rival parties when his campaign train landed in Efon Alaye last month. At the end of the attack, about four people were allegedly shot while several vehicles were vandalised.
Also speaking with THEWILL, the Special Adviser on Media to the Accord Governorship Candidate, Chief Reuben Famuyibo, Jide Omojolomoju said that posters of his principal were removed in various parts of the state, a situation he described as uncalled for.
He also informed that the activities of hoodlums harassing road users, especially commercial motorcycle operators, who don’t have APC’s stickers on their vehicles had created a tense atmosphere in Ado Ekiti, capital of the state.
He said that members of the Accord Party are also living in the fear of attack from rival parties that have since realised that Accord is a serious contender for the governorship seat of Ekiti State.
Famuyibo, while reacting to the orgy of violence trailing the political parties’ campaigns in the state, has called on Governor Kayode Fayemi not to set the state on fire ahead of the election.
Famuyibo was also reacting to the alleged plan by the APC to unleash violence on the electorate on election day; the alleged defacing and destruction of his posters and banners by suspected APC lackeys and the untoward incident that occurred in Efon Alaaye last month in which some people were shot and vehicles vandalised when the candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, Segun Oni, was there on campaign.
In a statement by his media aide, Olajide Omojolomoju, and made available to the media, Basorun Famuyibo warned that the insinuations making the rounds that the APC had bought all available canes, popularly known as ‘pankere,’ in Ado Ekiti and has perfected plans to unleash violence on the electorate on election day, using some known popular thugs, had better be nothing but rumours.
He said, “I’m using this medium to warn Fayemi not to set Ekiti State on fire ahead of the election. Even though he was young during the 1983 fracas in old Ondo State, let it be known to him that we cannot afford such repeating itself in Ekiti State.
“The 1983 events in old Ondo State should resonate with the powers that be. We don’t want a repeat of that in Ekiti State.
“What happened between late Adekunle Ajasin and Akin Omoboriowo, which led to the wanton killings and destruction of property in the old Ondo State is still fresh in our memory and we don’t want a repeat in Ekiti State. The wounds are yet to heal.
“He should also know that nobody is a custodian of violence and nobody has the monopoly of violence and Ekiti people are not ready to turn the state to a theatre of violence.”
He called on the people of the state to remain focused and not be intimidated, asking them to vote according to their conscience on Election Day.
The governorship candidate of the ADC in the June 2022 Ekiti State governorship election, Dr Wole Oluyede, also condemned the recent attack on the convoy of Chief Segun Oni of the SDP, saying, “It is a gross act of intolerance that is inimical to progress, given the lingering socio-political and economic lapses that Ekiti people presently grapple with.”
Oluyede, who spoke through the Wole Oluyede Campaign Organisation’s Director of Media, Mr Gboyega Adeoye, bemoaned the rising insecurity in Ekiti in recent times and cautioned that any act of intolerance by political parties at this time, would only escalate tension and plunge the state into an undeserved crisis.
He therefore, sued for peace, noting that, “whoever is genuinely seeking to govern for the betterment of the lot of the people will not contemplate stepping on their blood to power.”
AYO ESAN, has been actively reporting and analyzing political events for different newspapers for over 18 years. He has also successfully covered national and state elections in Nigeria since the inception of this democracy in 1999.
