Ekiti 2022: A peep of aspirants in APC, PDP and the hopefuls

Emmanuel AmudaJune 30, 2021

11 minutes read

On June 18, 2022 citizens of Ekiti State are expected to elect a governor to succeed Dr Kayode Fayemi, who would be completing his second term of office on October 16.

Sam Nwaoko, the Nigeria Tribune journalist takes a peek at some of the aspirants in the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the two major parties on offer, as well as some of those touted as possible successors of Dr Fayemi in his party.

The ground is being tilled for the coming governorship election in Ekiti State billed for June 18, 2022. While the various interested gladiators are already sharpening their weapons for the epic contest, they are also watching every move of their respective political parties with a corner of their eyes.

The parties would determine what happens to the ambitions of the various governorship hopefuls, but these politicians, however, have to make the required moves to position themselves for consideration to be able to stand a chance of being considered worthy enough to fly their flags.

Of course, it is trite to state that the governing (and powerful) All Progressives Congress (APC) and the behemoth Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are the two giant fishes in the political waters of Ekiti State, as in most other states; and the two parties are not in any way oblivious of the work ahead of them.

However, it appears that the APC is still keeping the tune of its war song for the coming contest close to its chest while the PDP is already in a boisterous mood. PDP, by the estimation of many watchers of the unfolding political activities, is lively because of its numerous aspirants already and also because of internal conflicts.

Prominent members of the APC in the state, who are also eyeing the coveted seat, are still keeping their ambitions on a leash because of the unobtrusive body language of the state governor, Dr John Kayode Fayemi. The APC stalwarts are watching what the moves of the governor and this seems to have informed the seeming insipidity currently in the party.

That which many observers consider as the current humdrum in Ekiti APC notwithstanding, there are some people who are perceived as possible of being propped up for the contest by virtue of their closeness to Dr Fayemi.

Some of them are also being eyed because of their political status and sagacity.

Some of the close aides of the governor in this loop are the state’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Olawale Fapohunda; Secretary to the State Government, Mr Abiodun Oyebanji and the governor’s Chief of Staff, Mr Biodun Omoleye.

However, some members of the party are also remotely echoing the name of Professor Mobolaji Aluko, an academic they claim to be a “really dark horse in it all.”

On the other divide, the PDP has more than shown that it is highly interested in snatching the reins of power from the APC, and beyond just showing interest, the party is also angling to make real its desire.

To many observers, the party’s many troubles are not enough reason for APC to not take PDP serious in its quest. This, they warn, is because PDP dealt APC a near-fatal blow in 2014 in the governorship election, regardless of the fact that APC was in power in the state then and the party had a rancorous primary election.

And to underscore its seriousness, the PDP seems to be witnessing the emergence of some of its best materials as aspirants for its ticket. Chief Segun Oni, a former governor of the state, is in the vanguard of these hopefuls and has created an interesting mix in the race for the PDP’s 2022 ticket.

Also in the race for the PDP ticket, from the tide of events, are the immediate past deputy governor of the state, Professor Kolapo Olubunmi Olusola-Eleka; a Lagos-based businessman and senatorial aspirant of the party in 2014, Mr. Lateef Ajijola; and the chairman of the PDP in the state, Chief Bisi Kolawole.

Obviously, numerous factors would be on the table of the respective political parties for their consideration when the time for their final choice comes. Such factors as loyalty to the party; the clout of the aspirant which would incorporate his/her pedigree, his/her financial muscle and his/her support base and acceptability among both party and non-party faithful are seen as topmost.

Zoning has also become a prominent issue and it has gained ascendancy in recent times.

Expectedly, there would be loud voices from Ekiti South district and from Ado Ekiti town in the coming months.

However, some factors, such as the political party itself and who the sponsors of an aspirant are, might subsume the preceding considerations.

This played out in 2018, when Dr Fayemi entered the contest and upset the entire set up of the APC in the state ahead of the race.

For the 2022 race, there seems not to be any inkling that there would be such a scenario as 2018 considering the fact that Governor Fayemi would not be eligible.

He would only be sponsoring a candidate with the aim of installing a successor. Below is a peep into some of the governorship hopefuls. Some of them have already made their intention known and are working underground for the ticket of their party while some are governorship aspirants in analysts’ surmises.

APC

Wale Fapohunda:

The incumbent Ekiti State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice has worked the law for and with Dr Fayemi since his first tenure, and even when he served the country as Minister of Solid Minerals. For him to have retained the trust of Governor Fayemi over the years could be taken to mean that he has earned the trust as brilliant, meticulous and trustworthy. Before insinuations about his governorship brought him to media limelight, Fapohunda is known to be an introvert. Some people even say that he is fit for a judge by his imposing height, carriage and cool mien. The son of Okemesi (Ekiti West Local Government Area) is believed to have a special place in the heart of Governor Fayemi, because he is said to be one of those who do not wait to see the governor.

However, the watchers do not have a clear picture of what the APC stalwarts in the state would make of Mr Fapohunda as their candidate because they are said to see him as a distant aristocrat and not one of them.

Biodun Omoleye:

The Ijurin-born administrator is currently serving as the Chief of Staff to the governor and was the administrator of the JKF Centre in Ado Ekiti when the governor was in Abuja as minister. During this time, he served as the link between the governor and the people of the state, especially his political base. Before he transmuted to the JKF Centre, he had served as Special Assistant to the Governor and as caretaker chairman of Ijero Local Government Area. He also managed the JKF Centre and thereby served as the link between the governor, when he was a minister and his political base. His appointment as the Chief of Staff in 2018 did not come to many as a surprise, being a trusted ally of Dr Fayemi. Beyond these, he is seen as a deft player, when it comes to political games and calculations.

However, there are rumours in political circles that Omoleye has not handled his duty as the chief of staff to the admiration of the APC faithful in the state. They allege that Omoleye is inaccessible and has a poor level of interface with the people. He is said to be unavailable either on the telephone or for meetings as he allegedly isn’t always available in the office too. But his principal isn’t complaining, some contend and that this means that he is playing his role well. Thus, if loyalty is the only criterion required of a successor, Omoleye might be it.

Abiodun Oyebanji:

A son of Ikogosi in Ekiti West Local Government Area of the state, Oyebanji who is the Secretary to the State Government has enjoyed a breezy ride with both his principal and party loyalists since his appointment. Many believe that his experience as a former university administrator and a former special assistant on Legislative Matters to former Governor Niyi Adebayo, before he became his Chief of Staff. He also has the honour of being the youngest member and secretary of the successful Movement for the Creation of Ekiti in 1996. He has also been part of the JKF team since 2010 and served as the Director-General, Office of Transformation, Strategy and Delivery; Commissioner for Integration and Inter-Governmental Relations and later as Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning. Many see him as the most experienced politician currently serving in government and think this is a plus for him in the coming race.

However, as strong a member as Oyebanji popularly called “Abbey” is in the JKF political family, some core Fayemi supporters still see him as not a core JKF loyalist, what they refer to as JKF Tokantokan. This is because they claim that he is still attached to his political roots, which is with the Minister of Trade and Investment, Chief Niyi Adebayo. This, some watchers say, might end up swaying Fayemi loyalists against him should he show interest in succeeding his boss.

Professor Bolaji Aluko

The first son of Ekiti icon, Professor Sam Aluko, is not known in politics as much as he is in academics. The foreign-trained professor of Chemical Engineering hails from Ode in Gbonyin Local Government Area in the southern senatorial district of the state. He was the first Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Otuoke in Bayelsa State, having been appointed in 2011 by former President Goodluck Jonathan. His nearest foray into the political turf was some consultancy activities he carried out for the Ekiti State government, having been given some “fringe roles to play by Dr Kayode Fayemi.”

READ ALSO: Three PDP senators defect to APC

Rumours are that Governor Fayemi might be eyeing Professor Aluko as his possible successor for a number of reasons, chief among which, the rumours claim is to quell the Ekiti South hunger and hand over to a detached technocrat of high integrity. However, the thinking in some quarters is that Professor Aluko might not even be a registered member of the APC. But a person of Governor Fayemi’s political stature and sagacity would have known long before this time and might have done the needful.

PDP

Segun Oni

Chief Oni from Ifaki in Ido/Osi Local Government Area, is unarguably the biggest name in the pool of governorship aspirants in Ekiti State in this dispensation. He was on his way to picking the APC ticket in 2018 before the sudden emergence of Dr Fayemi, an aspiration which threw spanner in the works for him, his Atunse Ekiti political family and the APC before things were straightened. However, his political family was ostracised after the election, a development which forced him to leave the party and found a home in PDP. Thus, he is running on the platform of the PDP which gave him the opportunity to taste being a governor in 2007.

To observers, if politics had not been a game involving dynamics, considerations, intense calculations and consultations, Chief Oni, considering his pedigree and integrity, should have been offered the PDP ticket on a silver platter. Even with the work expected of him as he strives to win the party’s ticket, he needs no introduction to either the automatic delegates or the elected delegates, as most of them would have passed through him or vice versa in the course of charting a good course for the state.

Feelers in the state reveal that a lot is going for Chief Oni, going into this contest. The people hold him as experienced; humble and that he has integrity. They also think that he had tasted power and has not been corrupted by it and that he has retained a large followership and support base across party divides in the state. These are thoughts that have been ingrained in the people and they are surely going to play key roles in determining who gets the ticket. Also in favour of Chief Oni is the contention that he is at home with the two main divides in the party: The Fayose Group and the Repositioning Group.

On the other hand, Chief Oni’s quest to govern the state is seen by some from the southern district of the state as an unfair move to deny them the slot. Thus, he has the people of that region to contend with while also in line for a battle with former Governor Ayodele Fayose, who is propping Chief Bisi Kolawole for the same ticket.

Bisi Kolawole

As the chairman of the party in the state, a position which is still being challenged by the Olujimi Group and the Reconciliation Group, Bisi Kay, as this aspirant is widely called, is considered to have the advantage of having the executive of the party on his side. What observers consider as the second biggest advantage he has is former Governor Fayose, who is promoting him and rooting for him. Kolawole, who was a member of the state House of Assembly and former Commissioner for Environment, is from Efon Alaaye in Efon Local Government Area in the Central senatorial district, is a jolly good politician with enough experience to go with it.

However, one of his major strong points is also his major undoing, going by the estimation of some of the watchers of the unfolding politics: Ayo Fayose. It is the contention in some quarters that the former governor is overbearing and, having allegedly seized the entire executive of the party, will cause a revolt against Kolawole and his ambition. He is also contesting against his former boss, Chief Oni and some are wondering where his loyalty would ultimately fall, as it would be tested in due course.

Lateef Ajijola

This former banker is currently running his business in Lagos and is seen by many as a philanthropist. His father is said to be among those who brought PDP to Ekiti State and the senior Ajijola’s house served as the first secretariat of the party in the state, in 1998. His political height could be said to be 2014 when he was in charge of Ado LG and worked with others to deliver Ado Ekiti Local Government for PDP in 2014. Thereafter, he sought to go to the Senate but was denied the ticket in circumstances that still leave a bitter taste in the mouth of his supporters. Many believe that his being cheated out of that ticket allegedly for Senator Fatima Raji Rasaki has formed a basis for sympathy for him in the current dispensation. It has turned out to be his main source of blessing for his ambition. Going for Ajijola is sympathy, his supporters hold and they also contend that he is a good party man by not leaving the party when he failed at the courts to retrieve his senatorial ticket.

In addition, it is believed that the Ado Ekiti factor is also in his favour as the community is also clamouring for a governor just like the Ekiti South district. A source said: “Ado is ready to support their son. Over 145,000 people was registered in Ado by the party in its last registration exercise and only Irepodun/Ifelodun came a distant second with about 66,000 members. So, if Ajijola is given the ticket in Ado Ekiti, the entire town will rally round him and give him their support.”

However, Ajijola and others have not gone full throttle like Chief Oni because, according to sources, they are waiting for the Bukola Saraki Reconciliation Committee. Pundits, party stalwarts and observers of the goings-on in the party are concerned that it will not augur well in the elections if just one group in the party holds all the executive positions. They claim that this might spell doom for the party and that is why the leaders of the party are working towards finding a common ground among the stalwarts, especially those who have been wedged as Repositioning Group and the Fayose Group. Ajijola belongs to the Repositioning Group.

There are also mentions of Senator Abiodun Olujimi, who is a former deputy governor of the state and the current highest political office holder in Ekiti PDP, being the senator representing Ekiti South district. It is touted that she is pushing for the Ekiti South agenda. The names of Mr Wale Aribisala and Mr Opeyemi Falegan are also being mentioned with unsure whispers.