Battle for Ekiti gov seat: Inside the camps of gladiators

SAM NWAOKO examines the various gladiators in the July 14, 2018 governorship election in Ekiti State vis a vis the presidential contest in 2019.

THE race towards the 2019 electoral contest is currently in the lower rung of the political ladder in Ekiti State. This isn’t because the matter is less important in political considerations of the people of the state, but because the Ekiti electorate will be electing a new governor on July 14 and they are looking forward to that epoch. Thus, the presidential contest in 2019 isn’t as much on the front burner as the governorship contest that is just a few months away.

However, the fact that a governorship contest is close at hand in the state does not preclude political gladiators from giving a considerable attention to the 2019 presidential race. Of a fact, some of the politicians in the state have described the 2019 contest as “the bigger picture,” contending that “the 2018 election in Ekiti would set the tone for what would eventually play out in the state in the 2019 general election.”

For instance, the two major political parties in the state, namely the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), which is the main opposition party, are at the moment seriously traversing the Ekiti political space for necessary attention. Apart from their efforts to curry favour for their respective aspirants as the governorship contest draws near, they are also jostling to outdo each other in an attempt to woo the Ekiti electorate to their respective sides, for the next president of the country be elected on their platforms.

While it is obvious that the 2019 contest is not lost on the major political parties in Ekiti State, their major preoccupation as 2018 grows is how to get their party to the Oke Ayoba Government House on October 16, 2018, after the election on July 14. In PDP and APC, as well as all the other political parties that have shown interest in the governorship, all the actors are currently in hot pursuit of the ticket of their various parties, which are expected to hold their primaries by April this year.

The various political parties are, for now, engrossed with their colourful array of governorship aspirants and their individual battles for supremacy. In the APC alone, there are officially 31 aspirants, and it is the contention of the leaders of the party that more aspirants will still join in the race. The swelling of the number of aspirants in the party, a political commentator argued, “is not because of just the 2018 contest in Ekiti; there’s 2019 in the horizon when senators, House of Representatives and house of assembly members would be elected.”

The postulation among some observers is that the rising number of governorship aspirants across all the political divides isn’t just because of the 2018 governorship election in Ekiti, but also because some of the aspirants are already finding a space for themselves in the collage that would emerge in the 2019 general election. But some others have argued that the array of considerably powerful political juggernauts expected in the Ekiti 2018 race might mean something different for each of the political parties.

 

A peep into the APC

Among the 31 aspirants the Deputy Chairman of the APC in Ekiti State, Chief (Mrs) Kemi Olaleye, said to have visited the party’s secretariat to formally declare for the contest are some big players in the party. The National Deputy Chairman (South) of APC, Chief Segun Oni is one of them.

The entry of Chief Oni, who was the governor of the state from 2007 to 2010, was seen by many in the state as significant, because parts of the state capital were on a seeming lockdown due to a huge crowd that followed him to the party secretariat.

Some even went as far as arguing that the large crowd that followed former Governor Oni was a pointer to the desire of the Ekiti electorate to see him emerge as the APC candidate. Their claim was that “Ekiti people are direct when it comes to expressing their desire and they seem to have spoken.”

However, strong, remarkable statements of intent were also made when aspirants like Dr Wole Oluyede, Chief Sesan Fatoba, Mr Kola Alabi, Chief Dele Okeya, Dr Adebayo Orire, Mr Muyiwa Olumilua, Captain Sunday Adebomi, Mr Femi Bamisile, visited the APC secretariat to declare their intentions to run.

These high-profile personalities, some argue, have given the leadership of the party some things to ponder in its coming primary election. Yet some others believe that the entry of Senator Ayo Arise, Bimbo Daramola, Opeyemi Bamidele, Bamidele Faparusi and, expectedly Dr Kayode Fayemi, would heighten the headache of both the delegates and the leadership of the party when the time to select a candidate comes.

In the thinking of some insiders, apart from the number of aspirants, the issues the party is also contending with include: Ekiti South Agenda; the young Turks, who want the party to make room for the younger generation and those who think what they need is a candidate to defeat their common enemy in the election.

The younger aspirants like a former member who represented Oye and Ikole in the House of Representatives, Mr Bimbo Daramola, who also served as the director-general of the unsuccessful Kayode Fayemi second term campaign and his contemporary in the House of Representatives, Bamidele Faparusi, are of the opinion that former governors, Chief Oni and Dr Fayemi, should act as elders rather than enter the arena with them. Daramola said if his boss, Dr Fayemi, declares to run, it would be a painful way not to continue in his ambition, but he insisted that Chief Oni, at his age and with his position, should be in the position of an elder.

For aspirants like Faparusi and others from the South district, apart from the elders making way for the younger generation, there is the added point for a consideration of one of them from Ekiti South senatorial district. The contention of the Ekiti South agitators is that their senatorial zone has never produced a governor since the state was created in October 1990; and that they had supported the other zones before now and should, therefore, also enjoy the reciprocal support of the other zones.

However, Arise and some others are of the belief that Ekiti is homogenous and has no need for zoning, which, according to him, is the hallmark of states with diverse ethnic nationalities. Besides, he also argues that at no time had there been a governorship contest in the state in which aspirants hadn’t come from all parts of the state to contest.

Some others are even brazen in their own averment that former Governors Oni and Fayemi could not win the election for the APC in Ekiti.

Dr Oluyede, for instance, holds this view and had recently claimed that his bully pulpit was the result of a survey involving relevant stakeholders across the 16 local government areas of the state. Oluyede argued that even if the duo found their ways through the primary election, they stood no good chance in the general election.

For Oni, it’s even a battle in many fronts and from within his own party. Some members of the APC in the state even took to the social media to unrelentingly deride his governorship ambition.

Many APC stalwarts in the state have also insisted that Chief Oni is an outsider in the APC, with many of the leaders of the party still stuck with the opinion that “he’s PDP at heart.” To those in the anti-Oni camp, his emergence is tantamount to “giving our mandate to PDP elements,” arguing that his associates and acolytes and even close aides are all still in PDP. The latest of the sins counted against Oni was a rumour that he was moving to the new coalition being midwifed by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Oni himself knows about these and had once publicly decried the aspersions and diatribes. The APC Deputy National Chairman lamented the development he described as “campaign of calumny” mounted against him by members of his own APC. On the positive side, however, he and his supporters saw the frenzy caused by Oni’s aspiration as a sign of his burgeoning popularity among the other aspirants and the generality of the people of the state.

But on the flip side, they realise that the gang-up against Oni is a sign of lack of togetherness and love in the party. The Oni camp also held that without unity, they could hardly achieve anything in terms of electoral victory in the election.

Oni and Fayemi are easily the issue in Ekiti APC because it is believed that both men represent two powerful blocs in the party at large. Analysts claim that while Fayemi holds the fort for the Abuja bloc of the party, which they say represents the camp of President Muhammadu Buhari, Oni on the other hand, they further claimed, is the face of the Lagos bloc of Senator Bola Tinubu. They also placed a former member of the House of Representatives, Opeyemi Bamidele in this group, while Babafemi Ojudu is categorised as member of the Abuja group.

Whichever group or bloc to which they belong, they all agree that APC would not want to remain out of power for another four years. But are they united in that quest yet?

 

PDP in focus

The PDP started navigating its 2018 governorship labyrinth early. Some leaders of the party, in September 2017, had gathered to adopt the deputy governor, Professor Kolapo Olubunmi Olusola, as their preferred successor to Governor Fayose. They carried out the adoption at an event held at the Government House in Ado Ekiti. Following the now famous (or infamous) adoption of Professor Olusola, the party has not remained the same.

Rather than bond, the event has caused, and is still causing serious ripples in the party. And naturally, there are two sides to the event. The chairman of the party in the state, Chief Gboyega Oguntuwase, and other leaders that partook in the adoption, have continuously defended the action, saying it was the best for the party and its interest.

However, other aspirants in the party have refused to accept the decision. Prince Adedayo Adeyeye, Senator Biodun Olujimi, Ambassador Dare Bejide, chief Bisi Omoyeni and Mr. Owoseni Ajayi are some of the known aspirants in the party. However, the open and unrelenting support given to Professor Olusola by Governor Ayodele Fayose and the powers-that-be in the party, has thrown spanner in the works of the various PDP aspirants.

Apart from Adeyeye, Olujimi, Bejide and Ajayi, Omoyeni has largely been quiet. Not a few observers in the state have been wondering what Omoyeni is up to, despite the fact that Olusola, who currently enjoys the support of Fayose, hails from the same Ikere community. Many observers of the Omoyeni scenario saw it as even more confounding in the PDP because the former deputy governor has continued to sponsor the radio programme in radio stations in the state, in which he has continually been seeking  the support of the people of the state in his governorship ambition.

But Adeyeye, Bejide, Olujimi and the others have been unrelenting in their call for a reverse of the endorsement of Olusola, describing it as farcical. They have insisted on a free and fair primary to choose a candidate for the PDP in the election and warned that anything short of that would spell doom for PDP in the election.

They have also sent messages to the national leadership of the PDP and said Prince Uche Secondus, the national chairman of the party, had a test case in his hand with the Ekiti election, beginning with its primaries.

In response, however, the leadership of the party in the state has continually assured of a free and fair primaries. Recently, the party in a statement by its chairman, Oguntuwase reiterated that “organising a free and fair election for Ekiti PDP is not negotiable and not compromising because it’s the constitutional responsibility of the party.”

The PDP chairman said:  “In furtherance of our preparedness for primary and general election, PDP shall embark upon ascertaining membership in all the wards tagged ‘operation know our members.’

“Secondly, the state executive committee has constituted a five-man committee, headed by the party chairman, while the secretary, state publicity secretary, organising secretary and the state women leader are members.

“The committee is set up to receive letter of intent to contest for governorship primary election of the party from desiring aspirants. Information relating to the said primary shall be made available to all at the appropriate time.

“The letter of intent shall be signed by the aspirants and countersigned by 10 members of PDP in each of the 16 local government areas. Accompany this letter of intent are the following documents: Educational certificate, birth certificate/declaration of age; sworn affidavits that they are not ex-convict or standing trial for any crime presently; four passport photographs; evidence of tax payment.”

Some observers have described the conditions as “unattainable,” thereby sending further signals that all may not be well with Ekiti PDP preparatory to the election. Recently, Adeyeye formally declared his intention to run in a ceremony that held the trappings of really a mega rally. The carnival that welcomed him to Ado Ekiti drew the attention of the state as his supporters from all walks of life stormed the Prince Adedayo Adeyeye Movement (PAAM) grounds in Ado Ekiti, locking down that part of Ado Ekiti.

Will he and the others still work with the PDP executive as constituted? They have said they would not. Of a fact, on January 9, this year, the quartet had addressed a joint press conference in which they called for the dissolution of the Oguntuwase-led executive.

 

Mega Party on the scene?

Only last week, the Mega Party of Nigeria emerged on the scene in Ekiti. Until then, the party was known as Mega Progressive People’s Party (MPPP) before the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) approved its name change. It’s chairman in Ekiti, Chief Dare Adekolu, listed Senator Bode Olowoporoku, Chief Abiodun Aluko, Ambassador Ayodeji Ayodele, Chief Akinrogun Bade-Gboyega and  Olowoselu Ogunsakin. Chief Aluko is an experienced politician who had fallen out with Fayose long before the current dispensation. The accomplished Surveyor appeared on the scene when he was elected as Governor Fayose’s deputy in 2003. The experienced Senator Olowoporoku is one of the founding fathers of Ekiti State and his handlers have said he would upturn the apple cart in July. The people are waiting for what Mega Party would do beginning with its primary elections.

Accord is still making waves with its lone aspirant, Banji Ojo. He has been off the scene for a few weeks and the people are eagerly awaiting his grand entry whenever he makes his return to the scene.

The only female aspirant in the entire state, so far is Dr. Christiana Yaya-Kolade, who is gunning for the ticket of the APC. The brilliant, America-trained physician has boldly said that women could do as well as the men, if not even better and observers are waiting for what would become of her lone voice in the sea of male co-contestants. A popular Christian cleric, Reverend Tunde Afe, the Senior Pastor and Founder of House of Faith Christian Centre in Ado Ekiti, has also thrown his hat in the ring to contest the election, and added a religious tinge to the show. He has said that Christians have prayed and fasted and that now “is the time for action.” Although his political party isn’t known yet, but he isn’t making a light work of the desire to govern the state

 

The Ekiti South factor

A large number of the APC and PDP and Mega Party aspirants are from the South Senatorial district of the state. This is a pointer to the belief among them, said to be really strong, that it was time the zone produced the state governor.

It was gathered that recently, some of the elite in Ikere community, headquarters of the South Senatorial district and which has the secong highest voting strength in Ekiti State, have already decided to prune the number of aspirants from their community. The group, it was gathered, would queue behind one aspirant each from all the political parties and support such cpaspirant to emerge, “because it is Ikere interest that matters to us.”

For instance, the elite group of Ikere indigenes, under the aegis of Ikere Development Forum (IDF) was said to have recently called a meeting of five APC aspirants from the town: Chief Sesan Fatoba, Mr. Funminiyi Afuye, Mr. Kola Alabi, Dr Wole Oluyede and Mr. Muyiwa Olumilua, at the home of a legal luminary in the town. At the end of the meeting and screening, said to have taken hours, the powerful group, the sources hinted, had settled for Dr Oluyede as thier preferred choice.

This, it was also gathered, would serve as an example for the other political parties that have aspirants from the town. The sources added that the move was to prevent a rancorous activity that might harm the chance of Ikere in the long run. The sources also claimed that the move to streamline the number of aspirants from Ikere became necessary because the PDP had led the way in quickly settling for one of them, Professor Olusola.

Thus, the people of Ikere are said to be leading the way in exhibiting their seriousness to achieve the Southern Agenda. However, of the total number of aspirants, Ayo Arise, Bimbo Daramola, Opeyemi Bamidele, Segun Oni, Babafemi Ojudu, Kayode Fayemi (though still a speculation) and Oluwole Oluleye are not from Ekiti South and this isn’t sitting well with the “Ekiti South Agenda”.

 

As things stand:

So far, interests are at play in all the political parties. However, what is heard from among them is that it seems Fayose is seen by most of the aspirants as a common enemy. But still, the gladiators maintain that interests matter. Party interest, community interest, personal interest and the likes. What interest and bloc would emerge at the end of the day?

Some of the gladiators have hinted that the “bigger picture” would truly unfold after the July 14 contest. Then, the direction 2019 would go would have been better defined. But for now, what appears to be the common interest among the politicians in the state is how to feather their own nest, and possibly dislodge Fayose, who they chorus as a formidable politician.