Ekiti Guber: Fayemi’s Successor Must Come From South Senatorial District – APC Chieftain

By Ayodele Oni

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Ekiti state, Mr Bamidele Faparusi, has warned the leadership of the party to adhere to the principle of zoning arrangement in the State.

Mr Faparusi, a serving Commissioner in the state cautioned that any attempt to pick the Governorship candidate of APC from any other zone, apart from the South would spell doom for the party during next year’s Governorship election.

There has been mounting agitation from the southern senatorial district of the state that it should be allowed to produce a successor of incumbent Governor Kayode Fayemi next year.

From available record since its creation in 1996, only the North and Central Senatorial Districts have been producing governor’s for Ekiti state.

The first civilian Governor, Otunba Niyi Adebayo, his successor, Mr Ayo Fayose are from Central zone, while Former Governor Segun Oni and incumbent Governor Kayode Fayemi are from the north, leaving the south with nothing.

Faparusi, who spoke during an interview in Ado Ekiti, declared that any political party that jettisoned the current Ekiti South agitation is not ready to win the 2022 Governorship Election.

Faparusi, a serving Commissioner for Infrastructure and Public Utilities in Ekiti State and a former member of the House of Representatives, described Ekiti South agitation as not only popular, but a potent weapon to prosecute the all-important election slated for June 18, 2022, by any “serious political party.”

He urged APC stakeholders to treat the Ekiti South agitation with all seriousness it deserves, in order to make the task of retaining power in Ekiti less cumbersome.

According to him, stakeholders from the Southern part of the state would resist any real or imagined moves by an individual or group to subjugate the voices of the people of Ekiti South and render them irrelevant or inconsequential in the Ekiti political equation.

“Two Senatorial zones have been exchanging the batons of leadership since 1999, this to us in Ekiti South is unjust, unfair and sinful.”

The APC stalwart maintained that it would be a costly mistake for the APC to pick its candidate outside of Ekiti South Senatorial District.

“All political indices and permutations are in favour of the south agitation since the district, has not produced a governor since the creation of Ekiti some 25 years ago and return to Democratic rule in 1999.”

He also dismissed rumour flying around that governor Kayode Fayemi has anointed one of his aides as the APC flagbearer.

“Governor Fayemi has not endorsed anyone. I only heard it like a rumour, just like it has been flying around and I regarded such as a gutter and dustbin politics.

“To me, those laying claim to that is playing gutter and dustbin politics. They are lightweight politicians like someone had earlier said.

“They want to carry the Governor’s favour and mislead our leaders that they have the support of the Governor.

“I am an insider in this government and one of the critical stakeholders. There was nowhere where it was discussed that a person should be endorsed and if the governor would do that, such person must be from the South.

“My thought is not different from what Ekiti people are saying on the streets that there is a power imbalance in our state. The central had served for 11 years, while the North had served 11 years, leaving the South in the lurch.

“This issue is a matter of equity, fairness and justice. The political parties must ensure that they embrace zoning.

“The electorate and average voters on the streets said they prefer a candidate from the South in 2022, the noise was becoming deafening for those who care to listen.

“It is going to be in the best interest that the candidates from parties are picked from that zone. It would be a costly mistake if my party, APC, should do otherwise.

“I am still very confident that the stakeholders will look towards the South and get a viable candidate from that zone that can deliver for our party.

“My agenda is that of Ekiti people. Another agenda is that the APC must win the coming election. We don’t want to pick our candidate by error.

“We can’t afford to lose because Governor Fayemi has done a lot of work in the last three years to put Ekiti back on track.

“The best thing for APC is to align with the public opinion so that we won’t be swimming against the tide. Ekiti APC is one, though you may have groups and interests and there are mechanisms through which the party can use to handle such.”