The bid of the ruling APC to retain control of the Ekiti State Government House appears likely to be matched by the opposition PDP’s burning desire to return to the abode it has vacated since 2018. This sets the ground for a keen political battle in the Fountain of Knowledge as both parties kickstart preparations to go neck-to-neck in another epic contest.
***
The Ekiti Gubernatorial Election is slated for June 18 2022, and different candidates across political parties have started emerging with their clear ambitions to replace Governor Kayode Fayemi who will be ineligible to re-contest having served two non-consecutive terms in office. From all likelihood, the next governorship election of Ekiti State will be a contest between the two dominant Parties of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP). The primaries along with any potential challenges to the results of the primaries are scheduled for between January 4 to 29. And according to some candidates and community leaders under the group Ekiti South Agenda Forum, an informal zoning gentlemen’s agreement sets the Ekiti South Senatorial District to have the next governor as since the 1999 return of democracy, all Ekiti governors have come from either the Ekiti Central or Ekiti North Senatorial Districts. However, no major party has yet closed their primaries to non-Southerners.
In November 2021, the APC announced that its primary will be held on January 22, 2022. Governor Fayemi officially issued a directive for any appointee planning to run for governor to resign by December 18; an order that has resulted in the resignation of the Secretary to the State Government and some other cabinet members
While more than a dozen political parties are eligible to present their various candidates for the election, APC and PDP are seen as the two political parties with the required nous, capacity and structural organization to lay claim of the Governorship Seat. Within the Governor’s cabinet also, there has been the usual political buccaneering and horse-trading amongst aides and associates of Fayemi who are gunning for the ticket or aiming to win supporters to clinch the ruling party’s ticket for the next gubernatorial election.
The preliminary build-up to the elections has not been without some intrigues; after the APC got its official notification for the Governorship Elections signed by John Akpanudodehe, the National Secretary of the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), some of the aspirants obtained the nomination forms to contest for the Primary Elections after which the Agents of Good Governance (AGG) allegedly accused Fayemi of surreptitiously aiding the aspiration of a particular candidate in APC as his preferred and “anointed” APC governorship candidate for the 2022 gubernatorial election. The AGG Chairman, Femi Awolumate and The AGG Secretary, Abdullahi Lawal warned Fayemi that his vested interest on his “anointed one” is not going to be beneficial to the ruling party as they urged the Leaders and elders in APC to ensure that it is only the very best aspirant that is allowed to emerge as the candidate of the Party through a fair process.
Denying the allegation, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Yinka Oyebode refuted the claim that Fayemi has anointed an aspirant to take over the seat of the State Governor after Fayemi completes his term in the office. He described the allegation as unfounded and baseless. Oyebode noted that no chunk of money has been set aside by the Governor to sponsor any imaginary anointed candidate but rather all aspirants are to work hard towards achieving their aim. He said that the people spreading such rumours have no electoral stance and they are only afraid of their own shadow as the claim is a figment of their imagination. He also stated that there have been constant assurances from the party hierarchy in the state of a level-playing field for the primary.
Similarly, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal matters, Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele has expressed confidence that Fayemi won’t impose any candidate during the January 22 primaries of the APC. While describing himself as the best to take over from Fayemi in his formal declaration of interest, he catalogued his achievements in the National Assembly and urged the party to give him the ticket for an “easy win”.
In the ruling APC, candidates who have openly declared their interests includes Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, Senator for Ekiti Central and former House of Representatives member; Olufemi Richard Bamisile, House of Representatives member for Emure/Gbonyin/Ekiti East and 2018 APC primaries gubernatorial candidate; Reuben Famuyibo, businessman and 2003 Ekiti State gubernatorial candidate; Bamidele Faparusi, Commissioner for Infrastructure and Public Utilities and 2018 APC primaries gubernatorial candidate; Abiodun Oyebanji, former Secretary to the State Government; Otunba Ademola Popoola, an aviation consultant. There are also a handful of hopefuls who are yet to formally indicate interest but might still throw in their hats and contest for the primaries or come out to collapse their structures behind another aspirant. These include Adeyemi Adaramodu, House of Representatives member for Ekiti South West/Ikere/Ise/Orun; Diran Adesua, Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development; Adebayo Clement Adeyeye, former Senator for Ekiti South, 2018 PDP gubernatorial candidate and former Minister of State for Works; Funminiyi Afuye, Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly; Bolaji Aluko, former Federal University, Otuoke Vice-Chancellor, Coordinator of the Ekiti State COVID-19 Task Force and Director-General of the Office of Transformation and Service Delivery; Makinde Araoye, Special Adviser on Federal and Intergovernmental Matters to Governor Fayemi; Olawale Fapohunda, Ekiti Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice; Kayode Ojo, businessman and 2018 APC gubernatorial candidate. Others are Babafemi Ojudu, former Senator for Ekiti Central and Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Political Matters; Muyiwa Olumilua, Commissioner for Investments, Trade and Industries; Biodun Omoleye, Chief of Staff to Governor Fayemi; Mojisola Yaya-Kolade, former Commissioner for Health and Human Services, 2018 APC gubernatorial candidate among others.
In the opposition PDP, the party formed an eight-member screening committee to review all prospective candidates on 8 November at the PDP National Secretariat in Abuja. The candidates approved by the screening committee include: Kayode Adaramodu, former Deputy Managing Director of the Guarantee Trust Bank; Adekemi Adewumi, 2019 PDP House of Representatives candidate; Lateef Ajijola, businessman and 2015 PDP Ekiti Central senatorial candidate; Yinka Akerele, 2007 PDP gubernatorial candidate and 2007 ANPP gubernatorial nominee; Deborah Alo; Arogundade Oluwatoyin Anike, former Ekiti Central Tutor-General; Adewale Aribisala, former House of Representatives member and former PDP National Treasurer; Bisi Kolawole, former Ekiti State PDP Chairman, former House of Assembly member, and former Commissioner for Environment; Deji Ogunsakin, former Ado Ekiti LG Chairman and 2018 PDP deputy gubernatorial nominee; Abiodun Olujimi, Senator for Ekiti South and former Deputy Governor; Kolapo Olushola, former Deputy Governor and 2018 PDP gubernatorial nominee; and Olusegun Oni, former Governor of the State.
According to Oyebanji, one of the aspirants in the ruling party “The APC is one family. As long as we are still in the APC, we are one big family. And even in families, there are always disagreements. So, it is not a big deal. So, I am not aware of any division in Ekiti APC”.
The PDP in a bid to close ranks for the elections called for a convergence of its screened aspirants to Abuja. The meeting was held recently and was led by the National Chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, who threatened sanctions on any of its aspirants who resorts to anti-party activities. In attendance at the meeting were, the chairman of PDP Governors Forum and Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal; Governor Nyesom Wike of River State, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and the Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom. Also present were the past Governor of Ekiti State; Ayo Fayose and his former deputy Prof. Olusola Eleka; among others
Since the return of democracy in 1999, Ekiti state has an history of political unpredictability and the votes may very well swing in the favour of any of the two parties of APC and PDP who are in the frontline this time. The Alliance for Democracy (AD) won the 1999 elections with its candidate Otunba Niyi Adebayo defeating the PDP candidate. Four years later, Ayo Fayose of the PDP denied Adebayo of AD a second-term in office as he won the 2003 elections. The aftermath of the 2007 elections resulted in a protracted 41 months legal battle which eventually saw Kayode Fayemi of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) mounting the governorship seat in 2010 after Governor Olusegun Oni of PDP who was declared winner of that election was unseated by the court. Four years later, Ayo Fayose of PDP emerged from the woods and dislodged the incumbent Fayemi of the ACN which has now morphed into APC; preventing him from getting a second-term in office. In 2018, Fayemi was up and running again for APC and he clinched another four-year term by defeating Olusola Eleka of the PDP.
With the other off-season gubernatorial election holding on July 16 in neighbouring Osun state; the impact that both elections can have on the presidential fortunes of the APC and the PDP in 2023 will not be lost on each party’s leadership; an added ingredient which will spice up the tussle to gain more political turf. Both parties are expected to go the extra mile and deploy all resources within their fold to gain an advantage in this election of utmost significance.