The Saturday, June 21 governorship election in Ekiti State might
have been won and lost, but many across the state are still critically
pondering the outcome of the poll. Former governor of the state and
candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Ayodele Fayose was
declared winner, defeating the incumbent governor and candidate of the
ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Kayode Fayemi by a wide
margin. According to the Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC), Fayose won in each of the 16 local government areas of the
state.When the reporter called at Isan-Ekiti, Governor Fayemi’s
hometown, the residents were still finding it hard to believe that their
most prominent son would be vacating the Government House, Ado-Ekiti by
October this year.
Those who spoke with the reporter in the town propounded diverse
reasons for the perceived poor outing of the governor in the election.
While some attributed the outcome of the election to what they termed
the self-centredness of some of the governor’s close aides and cabinet
members, some others said Fayemi lost because Ekiti people were not yet
ready to oblige a serving governor with a second tenure. And to others,
Fayemi’s defeat was the consequence of a conscious conspiracy against
the governor and his party by the federal government and INEC which
unleashed tens of thousands of fierce-looking, gun-toting security
personnel on every nook and cranny of the state, intimidating would-be
voters and effecting the arrest of those sympathetic to Fayemi and the
APC.
Speaking on the issue, Onisan of Isan-Ekiti, Oba Sunday Ajiboye said the election was free and fair, noting that Fayemi had little choice than to bow to the wishes of Ekiti people.
The royal father, a well-travelled educationist. and lawyer, said Fayemi had recorded a number of landmark accomplishments as governor of Ekiti, noting that the people probably had their own reasons for seeking the governor’s ouster after a single term.
He told the reporter: “Ekiti people have spoken, and we have to abide by their decision. What Fayemi had always canvassed was that the election should be free, fair, transparent, credible and thorough. And since it went like that, he has no cause to be fighting a shadow. This last election went peacefully, to the admiration of everyone, including the United States. So, going to the tribunal will be like fighting a shadow. What will he say is the ground for his action? He has done his best for the masses, leaving the office for the incoming governor to also do his best. There is a saying that soldiers come, soldiers go, but the barracks remain. Governors will always come and go, but the Government House remains eternally, as long as we have Ekiti State. It’s not a chieftaincy title, it’s not hereditary. He has done his own part.
“The aspiration of Ekiti people is for the transformation of Ekiti to greater heights, which my son, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has started in a very big way, and I’m sure the incoming governor will not do anything less. He will try to surpass the achievements of the present administration. But you see, we are human beings, and human beings are insatiable. You cannot satisfy human beings. And the moment you say you want to satisfy human beings, you will end up not satisfying anybody.
“It’s natural that people of Isan-Ekiti might not feel too good with the result. Every student who writes an exam will like to pass the exam, most especially if you studied very well. But there’s nothing we can do here, because we have done our own part. Our own part is to vote for him. And Fayemi has put up his best for Ekiti, but Ekiti is saying that, yes, you have put in your best, but let us test another person. Let us have a taste of another government so that there will be room for comparison.
“Some are saying, governors don’t complete a term in Ekiti. But the second term thing is never a curse. You know, Ekiti is such a sophisticated place. Unlike other states, the very day you’re sworn in as governor in Ekiti, those people monitoring your activity are already there for you. Again, there is no government in the whole world that has scored 100 per cent. It’s not possible. That is why we tell Fayemi, we produced you and we presented you to Ekiti State. You have served them creditably and meritoriously. You have never been accused of financial recklessness; neither is the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) chasing you here and there. There is no question of embezzlement of public funds. Then we are very proud of you.”
Some of his subjects are, however, adducing other reasons to the defeat. A native of Isan-Ekiti who described himself as a businessman, said many of the aides of the governor deliberately alienated Fayemi from the people with their actions. He also blamed the governor’s political naivety for the defeat, which he said was shocking.
“The governor trusted the wrong people,” said the middle-aged man who didn’t want his name mentioned. “Many of his aides were empowering themselves at the expense of the people. Whatever the governor gave them never got to the people. Some of them have ambitions, and they were working seriously, building their own political structures. They shielded the governor from the people. So, many began to see the governor as inaccessible. Whatever money the governor asked them to give to the people in terms of empowerment ended up in the pockets of the aides. And they made sure the governor never got to know, since they wouldn’t let the people see him. Even the ones from this town, in what ways did they help anybody? How many of them were even accessible? Most of them, even his commissioners, would tell you they were technocrats, not politicians, just so that you would not ask for any favour from them. How many of them voted during the election? Most of them had already moved their families out of Ekiti. Fayemi should probe some of these commissioners and special advisers to know how they contributed to his defeat. In fact, one of these aides (names withheld by us) was openly campaigning for himself, saying he would take over from Fayemi in 2018. Yet, the governor had not even completed his first term. What do you say to that? Fayemi is a good man and a smart guy, but he trusted too much, and he trusted the wrong people,” he said.
Segun Ajibade, a native of Ilafon-Ekiti, which lies next to Fayemi’s community, said the governor didn’t get a second term because he failed to install foot soldiers in the different communities in Ekiti State. In his opinion, the governor should have conducted local government elections which would have provided an opportunity to test his popularity among the voters.
“I’m sure his party would have won in the 16 local governments, because he was still very popular when he assumed office. These council chairmen and councillors would have been his eyes and ears in the grassroots. They would be feeding him with information on what the people wanted and what they did not want. Unfortunately, he didn’t do that. That was a great political miscalculation, especially, in Ekiti here. The caretaker chairmen he was always appointing never saw themselves as politicians. They never bothered with the people. Since they hardly spent more than six months in office, many of them would be thinking of their own pockets, which is just natural. That is my take on that.”
An elderly woman in Isan-Ekiti, Madam Beatrice, said the massive deployment of troops discouraged many people in Isan-Ekiti and in other parts of the state from exercising their civic rights. She also added another dimension to the issue.
“I fear Ekiti people,” she told the reporter. “These people that were fighting Kayode (Fayemi) also employed diabolical means to cause his defeat. They made sure that the ink did not stick to the ballot paper whenever we thumb-printed for APC. You don’t believe me? Don’t you know there are some powerful demonic forces against Kayode? I experienced the thing myself. When I thumb-printed, I discovered that the ink simply vanished. And when I complained, I discovered that many people also experienced the same thing in my polling unit. That was what happened all over the state. Because, is it not strange that with all Kayode did for Ekiti, he would still be defeated? No. It is not ordinary.”
She asserted, however, that Fayemi remained a worthy son of the community, noting that different groups in the town would troop out in their numbers to welcome their distinguished kinsman back home at the expiration of his tenure in October.
Speaking on the issue, Onisan of Isan-Ekiti, Oba Sunday Ajiboye said the election was free and fair, noting that Fayemi had little choice than to bow to the wishes of Ekiti people.
The royal father, a well-travelled educationist. and lawyer, said Fayemi had recorded a number of landmark accomplishments as governor of Ekiti, noting that the people probably had their own reasons for seeking the governor’s ouster after a single term.
He told the reporter: “Ekiti people have spoken, and we have to abide by their decision. What Fayemi had always canvassed was that the election should be free, fair, transparent, credible and thorough. And since it went like that, he has no cause to be fighting a shadow. This last election went peacefully, to the admiration of everyone, including the United States. So, going to the tribunal will be like fighting a shadow. What will he say is the ground for his action? He has done his best for the masses, leaving the office for the incoming governor to also do his best. There is a saying that soldiers come, soldiers go, but the barracks remain. Governors will always come and go, but the Government House remains eternally, as long as we have Ekiti State. It’s not a chieftaincy title, it’s not hereditary. He has done his own part.
“The aspiration of Ekiti people is for the transformation of Ekiti to greater heights, which my son, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has started in a very big way, and I’m sure the incoming governor will not do anything less. He will try to surpass the achievements of the present administration. But you see, we are human beings, and human beings are insatiable. You cannot satisfy human beings. And the moment you say you want to satisfy human beings, you will end up not satisfying anybody.
“It’s natural that people of Isan-Ekiti might not feel too good with the result. Every student who writes an exam will like to pass the exam, most especially if you studied very well. But there’s nothing we can do here, because we have done our own part. Our own part is to vote for him. And Fayemi has put up his best for Ekiti, but Ekiti is saying that, yes, you have put in your best, but let us test another person. Let us have a taste of another government so that there will be room for comparison.
“Some are saying, governors don’t complete a term in Ekiti. But the second term thing is never a curse. You know, Ekiti is such a sophisticated place. Unlike other states, the very day you’re sworn in as governor in Ekiti, those people monitoring your activity are already there for you. Again, there is no government in the whole world that has scored 100 per cent. It’s not possible. That is why we tell Fayemi, we produced you and we presented you to Ekiti State. You have served them creditably and meritoriously. You have never been accused of financial recklessness; neither is the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) chasing you here and there. There is no question of embezzlement of public funds. Then we are very proud of you.”
Some of his subjects are, however, adducing other reasons to the defeat. A native of Isan-Ekiti who described himself as a businessman, said many of the aides of the governor deliberately alienated Fayemi from the people with their actions. He also blamed the governor’s political naivety for the defeat, which he said was shocking.
“The governor trusted the wrong people,” said the middle-aged man who didn’t want his name mentioned. “Many of his aides were empowering themselves at the expense of the people. Whatever the governor gave them never got to the people. Some of them have ambitions, and they were working seriously, building their own political structures. They shielded the governor from the people. So, many began to see the governor as inaccessible. Whatever money the governor asked them to give to the people in terms of empowerment ended up in the pockets of the aides. And they made sure the governor never got to know, since they wouldn’t let the people see him. Even the ones from this town, in what ways did they help anybody? How many of them were even accessible? Most of them, even his commissioners, would tell you they were technocrats, not politicians, just so that you would not ask for any favour from them. How many of them voted during the election? Most of them had already moved their families out of Ekiti. Fayemi should probe some of these commissioners and special advisers to know how they contributed to his defeat. In fact, one of these aides (names withheld by us) was openly campaigning for himself, saying he would take over from Fayemi in 2018. Yet, the governor had not even completed his first term. What do you say to that? Fayemi is a good man and a smart guy, but he trusted too much, and he trusted the wrong people,” he said.
Segun Ajibade, a native of Ilafon-Ekiti, which lies next to Fayemi’s community, said the governor didn’t get a second term because he failed to install foot soldiers in the different communities in Ekiti State. In his opinion, the governor should have conducted local government elections which would have provided an opportunity to test his popularity among the voters.
“I’m sure his party would have won in the 16 local governments, because he was still very popular when he assumed office. These council chairmen and councillors would have been his eyes and ears in the grassroots. They would be feeding him with information on what the people wanted and what they did not want. Unfortunately, he didn’t do that. That was a great political miscalculation, especially, in Ekiti here. The caretaker chairmen he was always appointing never saw themselves as politicians. They never bothered with the people. Since they hardly spent more than six months in office, many of them would be thinking of their own pockets, which is just natural. That is my take on that.”
An elderly woman in Isan-Ekiti, Madam Beatrice, said the massive deployment of troops discouraged many people in Isan-Ekiti and in other parts of the state from exercising their civic rights. She also added another dimension to the issue.
“I fear Ekiti people,” she told the reporter. “These people that were fighting Kayode (Fayemi) also employed diabolical means to cause his defeat. They made sure that the ink did not stick to the ballot paper whenever we thumb-printed for APC. You don’t believe me? Don’t you know there are some powerful demonic forces against Kayode? I experienced the thing myself. When I thumb-printed, I discovered that the ink simply vanished. And when I complained, I discovered that many people also experienced the same thing in my polling unit. That was what happened all over the state. Because, is it not strange that with all Kayode did for Ekiti, he would still be defeated? No. It is not ordinary.”
She asserted, however, that Fayemi remained a worthy son of the community, noting that different groups in the town would troop out in their numbers to welcome their distinguished kinsman back home at the expiration of his tenure in October.
 |
SHELL-SHOCKED |
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