Ekiti election: Why the odds favour PDP By Laleye Lashore

The 2018 governorship election in Ekiti State presents an interesting opportunity for analysis. The election will be interesting in more sense than one. It is now becoming clearer why the immediate former governor of the state, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who was defeated in the election that produced incumbent Governor Ayo Fayose, said the 2014 election was an unsettled matter. To Fayemi, 2018 provides an opportunity for him to settle scores with Fayose and redeem his battered ego, as a result of scandalously losing the last governorship election. Though Fayose is not directly contesting the governorship election, the governor has not cloaked his avowed interest in making sure that his deputy, Professor Kolapo Olusola, succeeds him. It is, therefore, as if it is Fayose that is actually contesting the election against Fayemi and others.


Unfortunately for Fayemi, beating Fayose in the forthcoming election will prove an uphill task. First is Fayose’s unique power of mobilisation coupled with his grassroots popularity. Fayose came into Ekiti politics in 2000, not through entrenched politicians or their structures. He went to the grassroots to recruit his foot soldiers. For three years, he was supplying free of charge to the people one of the most essential needs of man: potable water. He did it in all the nooks and crannies of the state. He was personally visible and accessible to all. He did not go to the high and mighty in the society but recruited those that might be described as the dregs of the society; the wretched and the downtrodden, and the forgotten. Baffled by his humility and love for the downtrodden, these people in turn recruited their friends and relations for Fayose.

They remain loyal supporters of Fayose till today. They are his political strength, which no other person or body has tried to snatch from him. No politician in Ekiti state has committed as much resources and time to befriending the ordinary citizens of Ekiti state like Ayo Fayose did. He did not only supply water for free to the people, he also provided free shuttle buses for students of the state-owned university. He gave free drugs and distributed kerosene to the people. This act of giving has culminated into what is now famously known as the stomach infrastructure programme of the Fayose administration. Since 2000 when he appeared on the political landscape of Ekiti state, Fayose has always been in touch with the people, including when he was even in exile or political wilderness during the Segun Oni and Fayemi administration. Rather than keep quiet on his return from exile, he criss-crossed the State, campaigning to reclaim the governorship seat. Another plus for Fayose are his developmental projects. In his first term as governor, he embarked on massive expansion of Ado-Ekiti township roads, turning them into dual carriage ways to reduce traffic congestion. This is apart from so many inter-town roads. To the surprise of many; he successfully expanded the popular Ado-Ikere road to a dual carriage way, thus bringing about unprecedented development along that axis, which has virtually merged the two towns into one.

The construction of the popular Fayose market, which is a “computer village” second only to the one in Lagos; and the construction of the Trade Fair complex on Iyin road in Ado-Ekiti also endeared Fayose to the people. Fayose is a workaholic; he hardly sleeps; spends most of the night inspecting on-going projects; meeting people; and dialoguing with his grassroots supporters through phone. He is always in touch with every ward in the state. The second coming of Fayose provided an opportunity for him to continue his streak of unprecedented developmental projects, chief among which are the first flyover in the State and the multi-billion Naira Oja-Oba modern market. The medieval king’s palace in Ado-Ekiti wears a new look appropriate to be described as the pride of the whole of Ekiti state. This was why the Ado-Ekiti community conferred on Fayose the title of Apesin Apogunpote, making him the first Ekiti governor to be so conferred with a chieftaincy title by the Ado-Ekiti monarch. Ado local government has the largest voting strength in Ekiti, followed by Ikere-Ekiti, where Prof. Kolapo Olusola, the PDP candidate in the coming election and Fayose’s deputy, hails from.

All of these combined tips the scale of popular support in Fayose’s favour and, by extension, his candidate, Professor Kolapo Olusola, is sure to benefit. Fayemi, on the other hand, believes he is well placed to settle scores with Fayose in the 2018 governorship election, relying on “Federal might”, which has become the swan-song of his supporters. He, however, has a lot of hurdles on his way. He cannot compete favourably with Olusola on morality level, the PDP candidate being a new breed politician with no baggage or skeletons in his cupboard. Olusola’s good work in the education sector, which was in ruins under Fayemi but which now occupies a pride of place, has also endeared the PDP candidate to Ekiti people. He has touched almost all schools even in remote communities. He was tenacious at supervising the Education ministry and for the second year running, Ekiti state has led other states of the federation in NECO examination.

Analysts have described the selection of Prof. Olusola by Fayose/PDP as masterstroke from a master planner. The professor is blameless, having just entered politics as a non-combatant, so to say, but as an easy-going loyalist of the governor.  He comes from Ikere local government, with the second largest number of registered voters. He also satisfies the yearning for power shift, being from Ekiti south, which is yet to produce a governor in Ekiti state. On the other hand, Fayemi has a mountain to climb explaining why his administration allegedly marginalised home-based indigenes while giving juicy appointments and contracts outsiders. Will it be an encore if he returns to power? Fayemi also has to explain to the people why he opened the treasury of Ekiti to Nollywood artistes to the detriment of local artistes. He owes Ekiti people explanation on his love for Lagos-based MCs and canopies to the detriment of home-nbased talents and businesses. He has to explain why Ghanaian women socialites received preference during the quarterly gender summit of his administration.