Documenting a governor’s heroics, ‘wars’

T HE book is divided into six chapters outside of the “Preface”, “Foreward”, “Initiator’s Comment”, and “Acknowledgement”. The “Preface” is written by Barrister Owoseni Ajayi, two-time Hon. Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Ekiti State.

In it, he describes Governor Ayodele Fayose variously as an enigma, architect of modern Ekiti State, generalissimo of Ekiti politics, reference point not only on Ekiti politics but (also) that of Nigeria at large, and the Oshokomole of Ekiti politics.

He adumbrated two distinct similarities in the political trajectory of Fayose: He defeated an incumbent governor in 2003; he also defeated another incumbent governor in 2014. Both victories were landslide.

In his first coming as governor, Fayose was forced out of office on October 16, 2006; he also returned to office in his second stint on October 16, 2014. Not forgetting his secondary school History, Ajayi described the second coming of Fayose as the “second missionary journey.”

The “Foreward” was written by Oba (Dr.) James Adedapo Oladele Popoola, CON, JP, Odundun 1, Oore of Moba Kingdom.

The royal father says Fayose’s political odyssey has been characterised by ups and downs, twists and turns, controversies (which) in most cases have been full of uncertainties.

To Oba Popoola, Fayose is a man loved as passionately as he is loathed. “To his political foes, he is a non-conformist, unusual, unconventional, unsparing, and highly controversial.

To his political friends, he is, however, a man with a deep sense of character, a dogged fighter, grass-root politician with (an) extreme instinct for survival, a political giant with a big heart who, undoubtedly, (has) consistently exhibited genuine affinity with the common man in Ekiti State”, says the royal father.

The love between the leader and the led has been mutual as the latter have always solidly and resolutely stood with the former.

Both Owoseni Ajayi and the royal father made mention of the landmark Supreme Court judgment of 14 April, 2015 which, in a unanimous decision, declared the so-called impeachment of Fayose on October 16, 2006 a nullity. To Kabiyesi, Fayose is a cat with nine lives. If we may ask Kabiyesi (if he is here today), how many of these lives has Fayose lived and how many more does he still have up his sleeves!

The initiator of this laudable project is none other than the self-effacing two-time Chief Press Secretary to Fayose, Mr. Idowu Oluwole Adelusi aka “The last man standing.”

His inspiration came from God, who fired in him a deep sense of history. Posterity, he opined, would not forgive him if he failed to carry out this assignment as he was an insider then as well as now. He touts facts and figures captured in this book as “reliable and veritable resources for researchers and students of history and contemporary Nigerian politics.”

Also writing the “Acknowledgment,” Adelusi admitted and appreciated “the hand of God” that propelled him but failed to attribute this expression to its well-known author, the Argentinean soccer wizard, Diego Maradona.

Adelusi, however, made heart-warming salutations to many of those who made invaluable contributions to the project – the production crew, the Commissioner for Information, Lanre Ogunsuyi; hard-hitting Special Assistant to the Governor on Public Communications, Lere Olayinka, and the other staff on the Governor’s media team, while never forgetting his dutiful wife.