Ekiti unfinished businesses (1)

JULY 14 governorship election in Ekiti is an ego contest and plenty would be bruised, I predict. Needlessly more than required, would, therefore, go into about 600,000 votes that are likely to accrue to all contestants at the end of the day. More than 95 per cent of the said votes would also be flagrantly and shamelessly bought, I predict again. No one involved would sit on the fence. The outgoing governor, Ayodele Fayose, has seen to that. You can’t be non-committal about him and he is the PDP candidate, reincarnating in a 50-year old professor whose life of grace, would have made a good study in God’s confounding ways, had a certain Ijaw named Goodluck Jonathan, not passed our way. That dude with inscrutable smile, would for a long time, make other fortunate fellows in our clime, appear less graced.

But the nuances of Eleka’s story are still compelling. His aged father was to be Candidate Fayose’s deputy in 2014. Despite kicks by Ekiti PDP faithful who found him too Methuselanic, the “stubborn” candidate was minutes away to sealing the oldie’s good fortune when the Divine triggered a coughing fit while the old man was on phone to a certain “Doctor.”  Wanting to be sure his aged about-to-be deputy would not become a medical albatross in office, an inquisitive Fayose checked with him, if the nominee was a patient to the Doctor on the other side of the telephone conversation. “Oh, the Doctor is my son and he’s a Ph.D holder, lecturing in OAU,” the oldie quipped. That was the beginning of good fortune, that got Eleka summoned to Ekiti for an on-the-spot assessment. He became his Papa’s replacement on Ticket Ayo, elected Deputy Governor, worked in, as PDP’s candidate and if his run of Godly luck hadn’t completed its course, somehow, he would blow away APC “77,” the sacks of dough from Abuja as well as federal, regional, Baratai and Mr Transmission’s might, to do a FESTAC 77-kind of festivity on election night, before topping it with an eclectic thanksgiving in Feyisetan Fayose’s church, the morning after.

Eleka appears a man of history. The trouble this time is that the electoral battle is undoubtedly Fayose’s, though head or tail, win or lose, a rough ride is ahead of the outgoing governor and this doesn’t necessarily mean whatever Ibrahim Magu had designed for him, just by taking a glance at the eerie smile of Buhari, discomfortingly shaking the hand, during the February 22 Council of State meeting, of the man who ceaselessly and carelessly predicted his death and could pass for wishing and wanting the “king” dead. It is going to be difficult forgiving such a fellow.

Buhari, despite age, the realisation that nobody lives around here forever and maybe the Holy Writ of everybody accounting to his/her Creator at the end of the day, won’t become a Daddy G.O overnight. In fact, were Buhari to give his life to Christ today, his salvation and faith-root would have to be exceptional and extraordinary, to just let go of the one carrying a death-banner for him, all over the place, when he has, at least, between July 14, 2018 and May 29, 2019, to teach the outgoing governor how not to wish the president well, even if the president himself, won’t return next year.

God says vengeance is His and no one should pursue his adversary with cudgels, whether the fellow is defenceless or immune. There is no footnote to the Commandment and this possibly accounted for the decision Daddy G.O reportedly took over an alleged scandalous prayer meeting some time ago, on the Redemption Camp. I wasn’t there, but a pastor friend and big brother was. He will also likely read this piece and remember this story of the world-famous Jesus-pikin/preacher.

ALSO READ: Ekiti 2018: Don’t celebrate Pyrrhic victory yet, Fayose tells Fayemi

Pastor Adeboye has repeatedly publicly talked of his love for midnight prayer-walk around the Camp. So this particular night, he reportedly told the pastor gathering he called after the encounter, he was on the usual midnight walk, when the Holy Spirit took him through a route rarely taken and after a few steps, he heard some persons frantically praying “die, Adeboye die, by fire, die Daddy G.O die” without let. He was stunned as ordinarily expected. Who would not be, when those you teach on daily basis on how to make heaven, wanted you to go there, earlier than your fullness of days. So, the story said, he checked with them, to confirm the voices he heard and for them to be sure they were heard, at least, by men. For sure, they were all, allegedly, pastors on redemption ground, seeking their leader’s untimely death. Names were reportedly taken and they owned up at daybreak when summoned. Fellow pastors at the enlarged meeting, according to my pastor brother, were more than ready to sign in, on their expulsion from the ministry, just waiting for the G.O to read out the verdict.

But they were all disappointed. The God of G.O says they should be forgiven and re-redeemed. No expulsion. Adeboye had to explain to them what his Father in Heaven told him, “what if I didn’t expose them to you? Do you know the number of such death-wish made to Me or some Baals elsewhere, which I didn’t allow to be? I exposed them to you, so you can know some of the things I do for you without your knowledge. Vengeance is Mine and I give to all according to the works of their hands, etcetera etcetera.”

Daddy President and Daddy Adeboye are buddies; of same generation and age. Is there anything for Daddy GMB as a takeaway from his friend’s peculiar experience as he begins a test-run of his re-election project in Ekiti?

(To be continued).

Lord Dickson and Prof. Olukotun

A fortnight back, Tribune’s MD was 55. I usually greet celebrators ahead of time as a prophesy. Ordinarily, the headline should read “Edward Dickson @ 60, but I decided to avoid the confusion of “retirement age”. It was Rev. Samson Ajetumobi who said it is great grace when someone speaks and offences are avoided. I still await anyone alleging the MD, not speaking like a Bibire (he’s Ijesa in-law), regardless of situational intensity. That is the special grace he carries. Once a man can tame his tongue, the rest of him, is settled.

I met Prof. Ayo Olukotun on the back-page of Punch before providence drew me closer to him. He just nicked 65; with the greying saying a little more. Uncle is distinct in his all-embracing ways. His usual “short-take” messages make small more beautiful. I particularly thank him for using the popular “digression” for social and equitable justice. 55+65 should equal endless hurray.