You have been part of government in the state, serving under five administrations since 1999. How were you able to achieve this?
All glory to God, it was not my own making. I have been opportuned to serve five different administrations in the state, beginning from 1999 to 2018. When Chief Niyi Adebayo appointed me as a member of the Christian Pilgrims’ Welfare Board, it was through a friend who nominated and submitted my name. My friend and I later left the party, the Alliance for Democracy (AD) and joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to work with Dr Ayo Fayose in 2003 and he eventually won the election. I was thereafter appointed as the coordinator of the Local Emergency Management Agency (LEMA) in Oye Local Government Area. By 2007, I contested for and won an election into the state House of Assembly. This was during the administration of Chief Segun Oni. In the case of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as a member of the House of Assembly, my tenure was for four years, from June 2007 to June 2011, extending into the Fayemi administration who became governor in 2010. I was again opportuned to serve under Fayose as the state Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives till October 16 when his second term tenure expired. In essence, it has been God all the way.
Having been part of the system for almost 20 years, what do you see about governance?
From my experience so far, I don’t want to say it is unique but dynamic because I have worked with different governments in the state. When I was in AD, it was a different thing to when I joined PDP. When I was in AD, I held party position as I was the assistant secretary for five years. I was really a party man, doing the party things. So, the experience in AD was quite different from that of PDP. When I joined PDP, I was elected and this was different from when you were serving as a party man. So, different things were happening: what happened in 1999 to 2003 were different from what happened from 2003 to 2007.
Having served five different administrations, what is your assessment of the former governors and the incumbent?
I am not here to criticise anybody, but the four of them have tried their best. Chief Niyi Adebayo came from a background of a private person. He was not a politician before he became the governor. The same thing with Dr Ayo Fayose. Chief Segun Oni was a bit different because he has been moving with the likes of Professor Tunde Adeniran and the late Professor Babalola Borisade and I can say that he was a little bit more experienced than the other two that I mentioned earlier. Niyi Adebayo did his best and left. Fayose, during his first, I believe, did his best. Segun Oni did his best. Same for Kayode Fayemi when he was there from 2010 to 2014. What I am saying in essence is that all of them have their own way of running their administrations
However, the best has not given enough to Ekiti people in terms of what they want. This is because poverty is still deeply entrenched in the state. The people still want a better person and that is why we are still having agitations all over the state. If you look at what has been happening: we have PDP today and tomorrow, we have APC. It is like those are the two political parties we have in the state and you will see the people seeking to change the government at regular intervals. Being a unique state, Ekiti wants a person like Fayose who was able to hold the people because he was very close to the grassroots. You cannot take that away from him: he can mention, at least, 10 persons from each ward in the state. This is unlike Fayemi who cannot do that because he is coming from a different background. The best administration that the people of the state have enjoyed so far is that of Fayose.
Are you saying that because you were part of his administration as people are saying that the former governor was attending to stomach infrastructure, to the detriment of infrastructural development?
When you say stomach infrastructure, anybody who can put food on your table is the best government. And when you look at stomach infrastructure you will see an infrastructural development, Fayose remains the best in Ekiti State. Fayose did about 75 per cent of all the roads in the state, at least, in Ado- Ekiti metropolis. He built the Governor’s Office. The bridge in Ado-Ekiti, which was proposed by Fayemi, was constructed by Fayose. The Ado-Ekiti Modern Market, which was proposed by Segun Oni and Fayemi, was built by Fayose. Look at the High Court Complex. Just go to Ado-Ekiti and see things done by Fayose. He is the best among them when it comes to development.
So you are in support of a governor who goes around, eating on the streets.
That is what the people want. The people don’t want a governor who will be very far away from them. For example, when Fayemi came for the first time, you cannot even access him; you cannot see him. You can confirm what I am saying. When you see your governor and you touch him, it is a joy for the people; it is a joy when you call your governor and he picks the call. If you call Fayose today, he will pick his call. You cannot reach Fayemi; that is not possible. If at all you know his number, you cannot reach him.
If former Governor Fayose is popular as you claimed, what then happened on July 14?
Is that an election? It was not an election. There was a clampdown on Ekiti people by the Federal Government.
Can you prove this?
Of course, I can prove it. I am a politician. From my own experience, what happened that day, I was unable to use my mobile telephones on the day of election. My telephone lines were blocked, even as these people were calling me repeatedly. I don’t want to mention names here, but one of them later told me that they were the ones who did it. I could not call any of our party supporters and attempts were made to arrest almost all of our supporters.
Are you now saying APC and Governor Fayemi did not win the governorship election?
Well, I will prefer we leave the matter for the court to resolve because the election and what happened that day is now an issue before the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal. So, don’t let me comment on that.
Meaning you are sure of victory for PDP and its candidate at the tribunal?
For sure, I am 100 per cent sure of victory for PDP and our candidate at the tribunal. I am also sure that things would not turn the other way because I believe and I have much confidence in the judiciary. People know for sure that Ekiti is for PDP.
How would you react to the allegation that the two main political parties in the state, APC and PDP, were involved in vote buying during the election?
Well, vote buying is one of those things that happened during the election and it would be resolved by the tribunal. In any case, I was in Oye-Ekiti during the election and I was not aware of any vote buying because I did not give anybody money in unit and in my area before or during the exercise. My people voted for PDP.
What do you foresee of Ekiti under the new APC administration in the state?
I am not expecting much from Governor Fayemi. He was there before and I don’t think that somebody who is above 50 years old can change his ways. Some people are expressing optimism that, having been there before, he can change, but I would only say let us wait and see.
How do you see the travail of your principal, former Governor Fayose and the allegation of financial sleaze leveled against him?
What do you want me to say? The man said he would submit himself after the expiration of his tenure and this he had done. He said they should take him to court and he is in court already. Let us wait for the outcome of his trial. I am sure that the man would come of all these victorious. I know this because he is a man that is ordained by God.
Are you saying the man is a saint and is not corrupt as being alleged?
I would not be able to answer that because he was the governor while I was a commissioner that served under him. More importantly, the matter is already in court; let the court decide. But I see what is happening to him as part of politics because there is a clampdown on the opposition. If the man should join APC today, that would be the end of the story. Look at what happened to Senator Iyiola Omisore and Senator Musiliu Obanikoro and several others. If Fayose decides to join APC today that would be the end of the matter and all allegations of corruption levelled against him would be dropped. Of course, what is happening to Fayose is a case of selected persecution. I mean, you have the likes of former Governor Rotimi Amaechi and some others as saints in this administration but who were variously accused of corruption. A petition was written against Fayemi, but nothing was done to it. So, what are we saying?
You have been in government since the inception of the current democratic rule, what is your next move politically?
I will leave that to God because He is the one that has been doing it all along and it is for Him to decide.
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