‘Biodun Oyebanji: Continuity in the best interest of Ekiti people

By: ‘Gbenga Ogunremi

IN the lead up to the Ekiti State governorship primaries of the ruling party, the All Progressive Congress (APC) scheduled to take place in the next few weeks, a flurry of authentic endorsements for second term, accolades, tributes, excellence awards and recognition for good and inclusive governance have been trending in a predominant manner in the state and even beyond. Genuine endorsements and critical acclaim in the sense that nobody pushed or forced them, neither were they purchased, arranged, solicited or coerced. It had all along been a natural flow that is most unprecedented in the annals of not just Ekiti political history but of the entire country. On the other hand, a few inconsequential elements within the party that could best be described as renegades, the opposition within, were obviously not happy about this avalanche of endorsements especially the most recent mother of all endorsements that shook the very foundation of Ekiti politics, a radical and practical approach so much unprecedented. It cut across party lines. It wasn’t about a particular set of people, groups or communities but about the entirety of Ekiti people both at home and in the diaspora, speaking with one accord that Gov. ‘BiodunAbayomiOyebanji (BAO) remains the undiluted and undisputed choice of Ekiti people. That it is in their best interest that BAO continues to exhibit good governance best practices which have all along been most compelling, inspirational and in concrete terms a blessing to the greatest number of the people who have benefited immensely from the largess of a robust service delivery.                                                      

However, the renegades, that is, rebels within, saw this uncommon development as a painful one that has once again unequivocally sounded the death knell of a serial or better still habitual governorship ambition. So for an unlikely political advantage, they came up with a coordinated campaign of sabotage and subsequently  unleashed their e-rats and attack dogs with the sole aim of disrupting or changing the status quo that has already been firmly endorsed by the vast majority of Ekiti people irrespective of affiliations, whether political, religious or social.  Through their bundles of social media lies and unsigned press releases, they did not only question the veracity of BAO’s sterling performance in the last three years, but also queried the integrity of his administration that has been consistently adjudged as one of the best in the country. They did not stop there. They rained invectives on past governors, elder statesmen, the House of Assembly members, APC national officers or anybody, groups or individuals for that matter that were perceived to be positively inclined towards the second term ambition of the governor. But in the midst of all their threats, scare tactics and general malcontent behavioural tendencies, Gov. ‘BiodunAbayomiOyebanji  stands tall without blemish. He’s no doubt a classic, a special brand that is tried and true, time tested, dependable, trustworthy and credible. And just like a celebrity endorsement would create an emotional connection with consumers and subsequently encourage or convince others to embrace a product, so it is with BAO’s numerous endorsements and tributes that have brought about an unprecedented bandwagon effect. No doubt, Ekiti state is totally ‘BAOtified’ and the citizens in their numbers are resolute and unswerving in their determination to resist any act of sabotage with their votes.

Seemingly, the reasons for this uncommon development are not farfetched, with the homeboy phenomenon being the most profound. A brief prologue detailing the homeboy’s backstory would in fact provide important insights into  ‘Biodun Oyebanji’s illustrious political trajectory which began well over 30 years ago when the agitation for the creation of Ekiti State was at its peak and there was a need for properly coordinated presentation and representation of the Ekiti position at roundtable meetings with the authorities. This invariably led to the formation of a Committee for the Creation of Ekiti State chaired by that iconic community leader and retired federal permanent secretary Asiwaju Oladeji Fasuan (MON) with other very prominent Ekiti citizens as members. The committee then found young ‘Biodun Oyebanji, then in his mid-20s worthy of being made the Secretary as they were quick to recognise his deep, unwavering commitment and passion for the Ekiti cause. The committee also took into cognisance the loyalty, boldness, intellect and capacity that adequately defined his leadership qualities at such a young age. This inadvertently forged his path into political adulthood and which invariably set in motion his ascent to greatness. So, by the time Ekiti State was eventually created in 1996, BAO already had so much pedigree, much more than his peers especially in the sphere of politics. He then teamed up with our highly revered Oga, Otunba Niyi Adebayo who eventually emerged as the first executive Governor of Ekiti State.

It is also worthy to note that apart from the fact that BAO was born, bred and educated up to the tertiary level in Ekiti, he had at different times for 12 years been Special Assistant on Parliamentary Affairs (SAPA), Chief of Staff to the Governor, Commissioner and Secretary to the State Government (SSG), a position he held last before emerging by divine providence as the 5th democratically elected governor of Ekiti State.  Against this background, it is no surprise that the homeboy governor adopted a people centric approach to governance which prioritises needs and wellbeing of the citizenry. As a homeboy, he knew exactly where the shoe pinches his people, their wants and aspirations and how to provide quality and efficient service delivery system that would remedy the situation and ensure a better life for them.  Indeed, BAO’s yet to be completed first term has been exemplary on account of the homeboy’s significant strides in fostering unity, equity, inclusion and diversity as an integral part of good governance, with 90 per cent of his electoral promises to the people already fulfilled. This is why the people’s governor has been able to bond easily, building a strong, trusting and emotionally connected relationship with the Ekiti people, from the downtrodden to the affluent, a situation which the renegades never knew existed or probably refused to acknowledge because of an inordinate gubernatorial ambition.

In conclusion, victory at the polls for BAO, be it the APC governorship primaries or the main governorship election in Ekiti State, is no hypothesis to be tested, but a divinely done deal, a forgone conclusion that only needs to be illustrated.

•Ogunremi, a former Ekiti State Chief Press Secretary/Head, Information Directorate, writes in from Okemesi Ekiti.