INDEED, there are numerous aspirants angling for their various political parties’ tickets as the build up to the Ekiti governorship election gathers momentum. Among the aspirants eyeing their various parties’ tickets for the governorship election scheduled for July 14, 2018, only one person would eventually fly the flag of the party.
Here are some snippets of the information that had filtered through the camps of some the aspirants in the race:
Professor Kolapo Olubunmi Olusola
The Professor of Building Technology has been on the lips of many in Ekiti State, not just for being the choice of Governor Ayo Fayose, but that of the members and leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Since his adoption by the leadership of the party in September 2017, he hasn’t looked back in the quest to win the election and to sustain what their camp has described as the “good legacies of the Ayo Fayose administration.”
Professor Olusola, his supporters and promoters have taken virtually every step to sustain the campaign, not just to win the primary election but also the general election. The professor has been described as “humble, calculating, intelligent, brilliant and young”. His camp is promoting these qualities, and the people of the state are waiting for the outcome of the primaries, which the party has promised would be free, fair and credible.
Olusola, who currently serves as Governor Fayose’s deputy and he hails from Ikere-Ekiti, the town with the highest voting population in Ekiti State after Ado-Ekiti. His supporters see these as added advantages for both the Obafemi Awolowo University lecturer and his party, the PDP, going into the election.
Prince Adedayo Adeyeye
Prince Adeyeye is the erstwhile National Publicity Secretary of the PDP. He has not hidden his desire to govern Ekiti State, and he has taken steps to realise this ambition.
The supporters and acolytes of the former Minister of State for Works have described Adeyeye as the man with the requisite experience and state-wide acceptability to win the governorship election for the PDP and Ekiti South district, which has yearned for this position so much.
Mr. Bisi Omoyeni
THE former deputy governor and Managing Director of Wema Bank Plc has remained largely silent in the state, except for the programmes he sponsors in the radio stations in Ekiti State. He hadn’t been heard on the support of Governor Fayose for his deputy, nor was he with Adeyeye and Bejide and Olujimi when they kicked against the support Fayose had given to Olusola for the ticket.
His supporters, however, contended that he has remained in the background, doing what is required of him in the buildup to the primaries.
But another school of thought claimed that Omoyeni had packed his luggage on a voyage to SDP. The contention by the people with this opinion is that Omoyeni had seen the writing on the wall that Fayose would not let off in his support for his deputy; a situation they said had foreclosed his chances in the race in the PDP.
Ambassador Dare Bejide
Bejide, Nigeria’s former Envoy to Canada stands out as one of the most recognised politicians in Ekiti State. The experienced former secretary to the Ekiti State Government has also not hidden his desire to clinch the ticket of the PDP “because my experience is what is needed at this time in Ekiti history for growth and progress.”
However, Bejide has Professor Olusola and Prince Adeyeye to contend with for the party’s ticket. But his camp maintains that it is prepared to give its all because the delegates who would vote at the primaries know who truly deserves to fly the party’s flag in the coming election.
Senator Biodun Olujimi
THE governorship ambition of Senator Olujimi, currently representing Ekiti South in the Senate had pitted him against Governor Fayose, and the feud has festered. But whether the Senate Minority Whip is still going ahead with her governorship or not, is a matter for contention. The doubts about her governorship ambition, according to observers, is as a result of what they described as her readiness for dialogue in the party, a good move which some interpreted to mean that she was ready to negotiate for some other position in the coming dispensation.
But she was said to have announced a former member of the state’s House of Assembly, Mr. Bunmi Olugbade, as the director-general of her campaign, and until the haze on her ambition is cleared, it’s still taken as far-fetched. Time, however, will tell.
Social Democratic Party (SDP)
Save for the rumour that Mr. Bisi Omoyeni was planning to move to SDP, the party has just come to Ekiti State and is still to have a governorship aspirant. However, it is rumoured that some of the bigwigs in the other political parties would move to the party when the time comes. Fingers are crossed as the party finds it feet in the state.
Accord: Chief Banji Ojo
CHIEF Banji Ojo, members of Accord in Ekiti State say, has no rival, just like Pastor Fashogbon in the AD. Members of the party say he has remained the symbol of the Accord in Ekiti State and all is set for him to emerge as the party’s candidate when the time is ripe. But they also admit that politics could turn out in many ways. Meanwhile, the state awaits where it would turnout for Accord.
Chief Segun Oni
CHIEF Oni has been going about his campaign for votes of the APC delegates, and has just concluded a tour of the 16 local government areas of the state. He is said to be ready for the primaries and has consistently denied that he would seek refuge elsewhere if he is denied the ticket of the APC in the shadow election. His denial of leaving the APC stemmed from rumours that he was in cahoots with the SDP, a party claimed by some to be the new grounds former President Olusegun Obasanjo is allegedly watering for the coming electoral dispensation.
Bimbo Daramola
BIMBO Daramola is fresh from an invaluable experience as the director-general of the unsuccessful second term campaign of Dr Kayode Fayemi, and this has given him what many refer to as a head start in the campaigns for the APC ticket. However, not a few people of the state are of the opinion that the rumoured ambition of his boss, Dr Fayemi, has kept his campaign on a leash.
The former member of the House of Reps is seen by many as one of the front-liners for the APC ticket, but he has largely remained in the background, waiting for what would happen with the strong rumour of the coming of Dr Fayemi for another shot at the governorship.
Senator Babafemi Ojudu
Senator Ojudu, Special Adviser on Politics in the Presidency, made a declaration that tongues wagged about, recently. The brilliant APC chief had stormed the party’s secretariat in the state with several shades and colours of eminent people from all walks of life, in a notable show of his popularity. Ojudu had also raised dust with his posters and billboards that dotted every corner of Ado Ekiti, for which he briefly shadow-boxed with the officials of the state government.
To some people, his declaration was “the ultimate” as top party members from across the country, music stars and popular artistes joined his numerous fans and supporters in the state to literally shut down Ado Ekiti for the duration of the elaborate show.
Michael Opeyemi Bamidele (MOB)
THIS vastly experienced ex-federal lawmaker isn’t taking the chance of his emerging the APC standard-bearer with levity, many in his camp have stated. He formally declared for the governorship race at his ward in Iyin-Ekiti, with a designed programme and, according to him, he came up with that after he had consulted in all the wards in the state. As things stand in his camp, his consultations are said to be in top gear in and outside the state as they prepare for the primary elections. A rapprochement between MOB and Dr. Fayemi, his number one ‘inimicus’ in the 2014 outing, they claim, has given the 2018 outing a fresh tinge of hope for a better outing.
Alliance for Democracy (AD)
Pastor Akinboye Fashogbon, a Redeemed Christian Church of God cleric, Fashogbon, also doubles as the National Secretary of the party. He, so far is the only man known as the contender. He has said the party, which perennially comes third in the state, has changed strategies to help it come first this time round.
Dr Oluwole Oluleye
The former PPPRA and PTDF boss, since his declaration, according to some members of the APC, has been in the shadow of the other aspirants in the state. Perhaps, the lack of presence of the Efon-born successful entrepreneur, in the state-run media led to this kind of summation. However, another school of thought pooh-poohed the contention, holding that the primary election had nothing to do with media presence.
His camp, in aligning with the second opinion, said he is working underground to ensure that at the end of the primaries, he clinches the ticket to determinedly pursue his agenda to transform Ekiti State.
Dr (Mrs) Christiana Yaya-Kolade
Dr Yaya-Kolade made what many observers described as “a very fine outing” when she became the first, and so far the only, female aspirant for the APC ticket in the race. The Nigeria/foreign trained versatile health expert, at her declaration, gave a good account of herself and the womenfolk as well as the men at the ceremony had seen her as a pointer to the quality personnel in the APC.
However, she would vie for the governorship ticket like every other aspirant and, according to sources in her camp; the necessary action for a successful outing in the primary election is ongoing.
Senator Ayo Arise
Senator Ayo Arise joined the race at a time many saw as auspicious and many others saw as otherwise. He is a friend and close political ally of Chief Segun Oni and many had expressed the belief that he would have just thrown his weight behind Oni.
But Arise has some other ideas. He said recently, while celebrating his survival and a safe return from kidnappers den, that it was fair for all of them in the APC to vie for the party’s ticket and afterwards, if his friend is the winner, he would support him.
He has been living his dream since he joined the race and his camp isn’t letting off. His supporters believe that Arise is the only aspirant that cuts across the APC and PDP, having been in both before joining the APC just before the 2015 general election.
Senator Gbenga Aluko
Senator Aluko has been meeting with APC delegates at his Ode-Ekiti community in Gbonyin Local Government Area of Ekiti State, with a view to convincing them on the need to “vote wisely”, which to him means voting for him to clinch the ticket. The bigger picture, observers contend, is that it should be him or someone else from the South district.
His camp believes that anything short of a credible, untainted primary election would not augur well for the APC in the election, “hence the need for the party to ensure a credible primaries.”
Bamidele Faparusi
THE strong proponent of Ekiti South agenda has not hidden his desire to see the next governor of the state come from either South Senatorial district of the state, and has consistently been working to achieve that goal. He had been accused of being selfish with the agitation by his co-APC members, but this former House of Reps member has countered this by clarifying that “it is a matter of justice, equity and fairness.”
So far, he has set up his campaign’s “situation office” and has appointed Mr. Churchill Adedipe, a former Majority Leader of the state’s House of Assembly as the arrowhead of his campaign. He has also appointed coordinators in the 16 local government areas of the state, the 177 wards and in all the over 2,000 polling units.
Dr. Wole Oluyede
Oluyede’s camp is hopefully banking on a few factors to clinch the coveted APC governorship ticket. One of these factors is his coming tops in the reckoning of the movers and shakers of his native Ikere-Ekiti community, under the aegis of Ikere Development Forum (IDF). IDF under the leadership of legal luminary, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) had recently thrown its weight behind Dr Oluyede, choosing him from among other Ikere sons in the race.
Secondly, the canvassers for this Australia-based medical expert are also hinging their hope on his coming from Ekiti South, a zone which they see as a beautiful bride.
Abundant Nigeria Renewal Party (ANRP): Reverend Tunde Afe:
The Lead Pastor of House of Faith Christian Centre, Ado Ekiti is popular as a life coach and businessman. His motivational programmes on radio has endeared him to the people of the state. But they have now seen another side of him, when he threw his hat in the ring and entered the Ekiti governorship race.
He explained that he had once contested for the House of Assembly but was told, shortly before the Assembly primary election that a candidate had been chosen. That action he said was unexplained, foreclosed his contest and ambition to represent his people. Thus, his experience in that election, he said had prepared him for the current contest.
Secondly, and more importantly, he holds that something urgent must be done to set Ekiti State on the path of growth, arguing that all the other political parties have failed the people of the state.
He said ANRP was result-oriented and would achieve the plan of restoring Ekiti to the oath of prosperity.