Ekiti 2022: Stage Set For Another Round Of ‘War’ Between Fayose, Fayemi

By Ayodele Oni

With the results of the Governorship primary election of the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) and All Progressive Congress, (APC) now officially out, Governor Kayode Fayemi and his predecessor, Ayo Fayose are now set for another round of ‘war’ over the control of Ekiti state.

Bisi Kolawole, annoited candidate of Fayose won the PDP, while Biodun Oyebanji, former Secretary to the State Government and Fayemi’s preferred choice, won the APC contest.

Other aspirants have pitched camp with parties such as Labour, Action Alliance and Accord, in their desperate bid to partake in the June contest and apparently to display their popularity.

The first time Fayemi and Fayose went to war was in 2014 when both of them were in the Governorship race. Fayemi was the incumbent that was seeking second term, while Fayose, who was disallowed from competing his first term with an arranged impeachment, was trying to come back to get his dues.

The celebrated 16/ zero was achieved by Fayose as he roundly defeated incumbent Governor Fayemi, in all the 16 local governments, thus had the rare opportunity for his second term. Fayemi accepted defeat and did not listen to advice to challenge the outcome of the election, described as ‘scientific rigging’ then.

While he was in the saddle, the APC won the central government with Buhari as the President for his first term. Fayemi joined the President at the federal level as a minister.

From this position, he started launching his offensive to return to Ekiti to complete his second term. The opportunity came in 2018 through another election as Fayose had completed his two terms as Governor.

He attempted to use the instrument of law to declare his first term as inconclusive due to his impeachment during third year,  to enable him fly out again, but the Court disapproved the move.

Hence, he found solace in his academic deputy, Prof Olusola Eleka whom he pushed forward as his successor. Fayemi too swayed his way through after defeating others in the APC primary to emerge as the party’s flagbearer.

Thus, the stage for second round of war between the two political rivals was set. The outcome of the 2018 poll favoured Fayemi, got his pound of flesh and returned to Oke Ayoba. He became the first Governor to use the new Governor’s office, an edifice constructed by Fayose and commissioned by Rivers State Governor, Nyesome Wike.

Fayose equally built another house very close to the government house which he named ‘the house of the King’s father,’ where he hoped to live and be manipulating his stogee if he had succeeded to enthrone him as a successor. Governor Fayemi’s victory then stopped this. The building has been taken over by government.

Fayemi’s tenure is due to end in October, this year and like his predecessor, had shopped for a successor to keep his back. He found this in his scribe, Oyebanji and surreptitiously put him forward as his annoited one.

Fayose too, still interested to have the state government machinery in his pocket, went for his friend, whom he first made chairman of PDP in the state, later resigned and received ‘ royal oil’ as preferred and chosen one.

The two, products of sitting and former Governor are now set to battle each other during June Governorship poll in Ekiti.

There are unconfirmed insinuation that Fayose Deliberately  put forward a weakling so that APC can continue to govern the state. Even money reportedly exchange hand before the PDP primary to ensure that strong candidate like Segun Oni, another former Governor seeking second term did not emerge to constitute a threat to APC ambition.

The robust relationship between Fayose and Fayemi of recent was enough to give PDP sleepless night, to the extent that Fayemi was paying regular visit to Fayose at his hotel located at high brow Fajuyi area of Ado Ekiti. Fayemi was the father of the day during the wedding ceremony of one of Fayose’s children in Lagos last year.

Now that the duo have returned to the political turf waiting for the whistle of INEC, Ekiti people too are waiting for a conqueror in this third round of ‘war.’