Ekiti 2018 and the equity question

EKITI  2018: Fayose wherever you go, we go–that is the inscription on the paper banners that currently adorn the Trunk-A double-lane road from Ikere to Ado Ekiti. The summary here is that anyone on a visit to Ekiti State today will realise, without being told, that politics is already in the air in the state. And, it is all about who becomes next governor of Ekiti State after constitutional termination of Fayose’s administration next year.

Naturally, this is expected. But there is a caveat to it: apart from the general issue of acrid economic situation and poverty pervading the state as a result of the backlog of salaries owed civil servants, one other burning issue in all public discourse everywhere one goes is the question of which one of the three senatorial districts in the state produces next governor. And this is generally denominated by the equity question in the obvious marginalisation of the South Senatorial District in the scheme of things regarding governorship slot since the beginning of current political dispensation in 1999.

Of course, at the creation of Ekiti State in 1996, it was regarded as one political precinct being the only culturally homogeneous state in the whole federation.  But, seventeen years down the line and zoning being a product of political expediency, this political formula has been activated beyond any suppression in Ekiti and it is quite touchable. And, below is why. Otunba Niyi Adebayo, elected governor in1999, hails from Ekiti Central and when in 2003, AD was dislodged from power by the PDP, Ayo Fayose, who succeeded him was (is) also from Ekiti Central also. In 2007, the governorship election was won by Engineer Segun Oni from Ekiti North. When the alleged ‘stolen’ mandate was restored, the ‘legitimate winner’, Dr. Kayode Fayemi also from Ekiti North, took over reins of power in the state–that was in 2010. Fayemi, current Minister of Solid Minerals Development, was defeated in the polls of 2014 by Ayodele Fayose.

Of course, there is no denying the fact that Evangelist Bamidele Olumilua from Ekiti South emerged governor of old Ondo State in the stillborn Third Republic. However, the political situation of that era is evidently incomparable with what obtains in the state now. Thus, the implication of all of this is that since 1999, Ekiti Central has had the governorship slot thrice (Fayose twice, Adebayo once), Ekiti North twice (Oni and Fayemi, once each) while in the record books, the highly endowed Ekiti South Senatorial District is yet to have a shot at the governorship slot–this is where the question of equity becomes uncompromisingly evident regarding 2018 election in the state.

This piece is to remind our people, particularly the all-conquering political juggernauts already declaring their gubernatorial ambitions in the state, that our unique and ageless cultural homogeneity is built on our patent ancestral preference for equity and consensus in all things. This was the reason for our ancestors’ unconquerable spirit in both Aje and Kiriji wars; this is the pillar on which our celebrated Ekiti Parapo spirit is built and we must not allow this to be eclipsed by politics of self-aggrandizement and unbridled arbitrariness. We must remember that when an Ekiti person or group says M’e gba utuje and A ni gba utuje –meaning I, or, we won’t tolerate cheating respectively, trouble may be brewing in the horizon. And, Ekiti South is saying A ni gba utuje already.

Beside all of this, the natural endowment of Ekiti South is quite intimidating that the commonsensical thing to do is to allow the senatorial district its well deserved and rightful governorship slot in 2018 without any antics or prevarications. For, as it is known, the zone has the largest land mass in the state and it is the home of Senator Tony Adeniyi who pulled the highest votes ever recorded in the political history of the South-West 2011. Ekiti South also has more local government areas than both Ekiti North and Ekiti Central individually. Ekiti North and Ekiti Central have five local government areas each while Ekiti South has six.

The zone has the second largest population in the state–suffice to say that apart from its massive agricultural potentials, in its belly is the treasure of solid minerals of great economic values. In leadership potentials, the zone is blessed and loaded. Here, Ekiti State parades potentially resourceful leading politicians like Dr. Wole Oluyede, Senator Gbenga Aluko, Mr. Bamidele Faparusi, Mr. Funminiyi Afuye, Mr. Kola Alabi, Chief Bisi Aloba, Chief Sesan Fatoba, Chief Dele Okeya, Mr. Yemi Adaramodu, Mr. Muyiwa Olumilua, Captain Sunday Adebomi, Mr. Bayo Idowu, Mr. Bayo Babalotin, all in the APC. In the same way, PDP has Deputy Governor Kolapo Olusola; Mrs. Abiodun Olujimi; Prince Adedayo Adeyeye; former Deputy Governors Adebisi Omoyeni and Abiodun Aluko; Mr. Owoseni Ajayi and Mr. Olatunji Odeyemi.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that nothing but equity should be the deciding factor in 2018 gubernatorial election in Ekiti State, The Land of Honour.

• Olaosebikan , a veteran journalist, writes in from Abuja.