SOME events that preceded the conduct of the January 27, 2021 Ekiti State governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had created the scenario of an impending implosion. Unbridled altercations among the main actors had held sway, as some stakeholders were apparently unrestrained in deploying very strong words against perceived rivals, heating up the political space in the process. The worrisome scenario dovetailed into the conduct of the primary and the declaration of the outcome of the exercise.
That moment of anger has given way to a reflective season and mood in the Ekiti APC. The major actors in the primary are sheathing their swords as the countdown to the June 18, 2022 governorship poll approaches. It is recalled that a former Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr Biodun Oyebanji, won the primary with 101,703 votes. The outcome was proclaimed by Jigawa State governor and chairman of the primary election committee.
Mohammed Badaru, Other contestants for the APC ticket at the primary included Senator Opeyemi Bamidele; Kayode Ojo, former Minister of Works, Senator Dayo Adeyeye House of Representatives member, Honurable Femi Bamisile; Bamidele Faparusi, a former House of Representatives member, Bamidele Faparusi; an aviation expert, Demola Popoola and Oluwasola Afolabi.
Judging from the issues and circumstances that culminated into the success of the primary, the exercise was a keen contest; as the contestants were kept on their toes throughout the period of horse-trading and lobbying. Therefore, the acceptance speech of Oyebanji, who eventually carried the day and became the standard-bearer of the APC acknowledged that it was a victory for all and sundry, and not for him alone.
He also recognised the fact that there was bound to be serious friction and mutual suspicion in such contest. His words: “To my fellow aspirants, all of you worthy Ekiti sons, I salute your courage of conviction and your passion for the upliftment of our dear state. Your participation in the process has served to strengthen our party, through the mobilisation of many voices.
During contests such as this, tensions are understandably high, and tempers rise in all quarters. This is all normal in the course of democratic expression. I hereby promise my fellow aspirants that together, we will work towards victory and a bright future for our people.
In the spirit of sportsmanship, Oyebanji immediately announced a genuine reconciliation initiative meant to achieve a cohesive and vibrant movement. He confirmed his readiness, determination and zeal to lead in vigorously pursuing the reconciliation agenda. Thus, he declared: “I will be reaching out personally to seek an audience with every one of you in the coming days. I want to listen to you, so that together we can fit in our respective parts of the big picture and run a wholesome campaign that connects with the hearts and minds of our people.”
He expatiated on the rationale for such disposition. Central to his stance and attitude is the aphorism that there is always strength in unity. “Together, we are greater than the sum of our individual parts’– without a doubt the undertaking ahead of us must be a collective one, and we need everybody. I, therefore, humbly ask for your support as we begin the task of campaigning for the Saturday, June 18, 2022 general election.
We have a huge mission ahead of us to retain the governance of our dear state under our great party, and to ensure the continuity of our progressive programmes and policies as established by our leaders,” he elucidated.
At another forum, Oyebanji underscored that he is a man that walks the talk. While expressing confidence that the seeming schism over issues that arose from the primary would be resolved amicably, he said he had taken pragmatic steps in that direction, just as he acknowledged the existence of a conflict resolution mechanism in the APC. He revealed: “I have spoken to some of them.
We are in conversation and in the next few days, I’ll be going to them one-on-one for further discussion and to deepen the already agreed conversations with them. I believe strongly that the APC is strong and the APC has an inbuilt mechanism to resolve issues arising from the context. One thing is clear, in every context, there will be different views and opinions and it behooves on each and every one of us to bend back and resolve the issue in the interest of our people, in the interest of the state and interest of the party and I’m confident that all those things will be done.”
All these strategies seem to be paying off for the Ekiti APC and its faithful, as the quest for reconciliation has been impactful. The statements and actions taken so far by other key actors that pertook in the primary underscore the positive effect of the rapprochement aimed at engendering inclusiveness, unity of purpose and conviviality across board in Ekiti APC and beyond.
A few instances that accentuate the new spirit will suffice. Senator Bamidele was unequivocal in expressing his opinion before and after the primary. The former member of the House of Representatives and former Commissioner in Lagos State did not mince words on what he considered the way forward. He has since embraced the hands of political friendship from Oyebanji and promised to remain a faithful party man. Accordingly, he said: “In spite of my strong convictions as expressed earlier, I have come to some irreversible conclusions. And these are the messages I need to pass on to all and sundry today as I temporarily break my silence on the way forward.
One is to say that I have chosen to drop the option of going to court to sue the party. The other is to make it crystal clear to everyone that both my supporters and I will not defect from APC.” A leading light in the pro-democracy and human rights circle, Bamidele emphasised the need to prevent what some have described as ‘Fifth Columnist’ from infiltrating the party in the ongoing buildup to the governorship poll.
According to him, “It is about the unity and progress of Ekiti State and her politically undermined and economically afflicted people.“It is also about ensuring that the ground is not prepared for reactionary beneficiaries to take advantage of seeming lack of capacity to manage our affairs as a ruling party.” However, he reinforced the imperative of inclusion in running the affairs of the party. The peace overtures from Oyebanji also got Bamisile resolving to support the winner of the primary in the interest of the party.
The lawmaker representing Ekiti East/ Gbonyin/ Emure constituency premised his action on the need to sustain the unity of the party. “What I have just said today is that I am standing with the party. Whatever the party wants us to do, we would do. I can›t destroy the party I joined others to build and I have penchant for building political parties. I still maintain my stand, it really was not an election. It was a process that has become acceptable to some of us because we are party men. But it was not an election. We are not going to leave the party. I can’t be sent out of a house that I built. Nobody can send me out of the APC. I was the first person to make it bold that I will fight it beyond all reckoning and part of that was to actually go to court. I have spoken to Lateef Fagbemi SAN and Yussuf Alli, SAN on this, but looking at the larger picture, would I want Ekiti to go the way of Zamfara? No.”
Oyebanjiis commended by the display of friendship, co-operation and collaboration by his rivals at the APC primary. He lauded them for putting the interest of the party, the people and the state above other considerations, stressing that the “APC remains one big family, where disagreements are resolved amicably in the overall interest of the people.” The APC candidate is also full of praises for APC leaders, who worked behind the scene to reconcile the aggrieved members.
“I received with gladness the news of the decision by my brothers- Senator Opeyemi Bamidele and Honourable Femi Bamisile to drop their suit and work with other leaders of the party to ensure victory for the APC at the forth coming governorship election.
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Their decision has further confirmed their commitment to the growth and success of our dear party and this is highly commendable. I hope my other co- aspirants will follow suit in the interest of peace and unity. I urge all our members to appreciate these leaders for this excellent decision and refrain from making any remarks that might be deemed unfriendly. We are one family in Ekiti APC.”
For many APC faithful in Ekiti, the new-found compromise among the leading aspirants and other main stakeholders at the primary signposts a new dawn in the party.
This, according to them, is because of the need to present a common front at the poll in June. Other party chieftains interpreted that the action of the aggrieved aspirants as edifying because, in every contest, there must be one winner. It was also their contention that the spirit of give and take is instructive in that leadership is about responsibility and action that the following can emulate.
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