In this report, ADEWUMI ADEMIJU takes a look at the candidates in the Ekiti Governorship Election which takes place today, x-raying the contenders, their strengths and factors that are likely to be decisive at the poll

Ekiti State votes will today go to the poll to decide who governs them in the next dispensation. The Chairman Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, had announced that 16 political parties would participate in the election. INEC also stated that a total of 988,923 voters were captured in the commission’s register for the election is the state today. Out of this figure 734,746 voters had collected their PVCs.

The National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, said: ‘it is now a matter of common knowledge that we have 16 LGAs in Ekiti State and the election will be staged from 177 registration areas. For this particular election, after the commission queued up the voters registers, we came to the conclusion that a total of 988,923 registered voters will vote in this election. Furthermore, as of 27th May 2022, a total of 734,746 persons have collected their permanent voter’s cards.”

Prominent among the political parties and the candidates are: the All progressives Congress APC/ Biodun Oyebanji, Peoples Democratic Party PDP/Bisi Kolawole, Social Democratic Party SDP/Segun Oni, Action Democratic Party ADP/ Kemi Elebute-Halle, Action Democratic Congress ADC/ Dr. Wole Oluyede, Young Progressive Party YPP, Debo Ranti Ajayi. Although out of these six prominent contenders, some analysts have narrowed down the figure further to three, while some argue that political permutations are unpredictable.

The candidate of the All Progressives congress, Biodun Oyebanji, has been in governance for more than a decade. To Ekiti people, his name rings a bell constantly despite the fact he hasn’t occupied the no 1 seat in the state before. Oyebanji served under the first civilian governor of Ekiti State Niyi Adebayo. During the first tenure of Kayode Fayemi he served as the Commissioner for Economic and Budget Planning and in the second term as secretary to the state government. The closeness of Oyebanji with the two powerful party leaders is said to be a great chance for the APC candidate to secure the governorship position. The power of incumbency both at the state and the federal has been said to also be a plus for Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji popularly called BAO by admirers. The APC candidate is adjudged to be the anointed candidate of Fayemi.

He contested the primary election in the party against the senator representing Ekiti Central senatorial district, Micheal Opeyemi Bamidele, member of House of Representative, Femi Bamisile, former minister of work, Senator Dayo Adeyeye, Engineer Kayode Ojo, former Commissioner for utilities, Bamidele Faparusi, an aviation expert, Demola Popoola and others.

The emergence of Oyebanji as party’s candidate was rejected by his opponents who threatened legal action. But many of them later declared their support and readiness to work for the success of the APC candidate in the interest of the party.

The party’s presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, alongside other prominent party chieftains and 14 APC governors stormed the state on June 14 to present the party’s flag to Oyebanji and campaign in support of the party candidate. Tinubu at the event declared that the APC is united and would work to ensure victory of the party’s governorship candidate in today’s election .

The presidential candidate said all quarrels and squabbles in the APC family had been resolved. This action (rallying all involved) is expected to work in Oyebanji’s favour. Tinubu who represented President Muhammadu Buhari at the event in Ado Ekiti said the Ekiti poll is an opportunity that signaled that Yorubas are ready for the presidency next year. The presence of Tinubu at that event also throws up the issue of godfatherism and many have said that could work to boost the chances of Oyebanji.

However, some others especially those who are not satisfied with the performance of the current administration in the state have argued that Oyebanji’s emergence would be a continuation of the challenges experienced under Fayemi’s administration. Their belief is that Oyebanji would only be a figure head taking instructions from Fayemi. But it remains to be seen how these factors will interact on election today, election day.

The PDP candidate, Bisi Kolawole, is a former commissioner for environment in the state. He became the state chairman of the party at the last controversial party’s congress conducted in 2020 which finally factionalised the party in the state. Kolawole a native of Efon in Efon local government area of the state was anointed by for former governor Ayodele Fayose as the preferred governorship candidate. He later emerged as the party’s candidate defeating his closest rival, former governor, Segun Oni.

In many of his addresses to residents, Kolawole always hammered on his political experience, having served in different capacities of governance which he claimed would boost his performance if elected as governor. It is believed that unity among the people of Efon could generate votes for Kolawole as the community is noted for standing by its indigenes with adequate support when needed. The content of his manifesto could also serve as an attraction to the electorate. Kolawole said he has six cardinal agenda for the people of Ekiti.

“The agenda is anchored on participatory governance, security of lives and property, agricultural development and food se-curity. Other areas include infrastructural development, provision of social services and sustainable environment. The heat of crisis in the PDP has been identified as a stigma that could however subdue the community’s solidarity for Kolawole as things have fallen apart within the party, with the emergence of different factions. The two main PDP leaders in the state-former governor Ayodele Fayose and the senator representing Ekiti South senatorial District, Mrs Biodun Olujimi, are at loggerheads.

The PDP in the state is dominated by two factions- loyal to Fayose and Olujimi while some members have joined Oni in SDP. Former deputy governor Prof. Kolapo Olusola is also keeping aloof in the party due to the crisis with his principal, Fayose, said to have subverted his political ambition. Disunity within the PDP has been highlighted as a big challenge to Kolawole’s victory. While some are of the opinion that the emergence of Kolawole is in automatic third term for Fayose, as the candidate would only be a ceremonial governor.

The antecedent of Oni as former governor of Ekiti State is said by many residents to be remarkable; the pensioners, civil servants, teachers, market women others all attest to good governance, integrity, accessibility, infrastructure, good roads and ingenuity of the former governor when he was in power.

To many in the state, the governorship election is between APC and SDP, and for those who have this belief, APC is in the picture because of power of incumbency. However, some have described Oni as a lone ranger carrying his cross alone, this means Oni is facing a challenge of lack of godfather. This according to those who hold this belief could be a setback to his aspiration. Some even expressed the opinion that Tinubu would prevail on him to shelve his ambition in order to usher in Biodun Oyebanji.

They added that the emergence of Tinubu as APC presidential candidate would spell a doom for Oni’s ambition but Oni in a swift reaction clarified he has no alliance or any deal with the APC presidential candidate. He added that though they were once intimate political allies, the emergence of the APC national leader as the party’s presidential candidate won’t affect his ambition. Clearly it did not; he is ready to test his might today, and this may be the last run for the former governor.

The ADP candidate is the only female among the contestants, and many have expressed the hope that this could earn her sympathy votes, but others said that the contest is just an opportunity, a testing ground for her as the system in the country is not ripe for female governor.

Oluyede, a brilliant medical doctor contested for governorship with Dr Kayode Fayemi in 2018 on the platform of the All Progressives Congress during the primary election. His current camp consists of many aggrieved members of the APC; he himself before his defection to the ADC scaled through suspension from his ward as allegedly directed by the leadership of the APC that time. The crisis escalated and when he discovered he couldn’t realise his ambition in the party he moved to the ADC and became the party’s candidate. But the chances of Oluyede realising his ambition despite his vibrant manifestoes, according to people, are slim as the ADC is not firmly on ground in Ekiti and the size of his political structure.

AJAYI Ajayi is a former commissioner for budget and economic planning as well as trade and investments. His experience in governance at that time is seen as a plus and shows he is not a newcomer. The candidate is from Emure Ekiti in Emure local government area of the state also in the southern district. The southern agitation for the post of governor is an advantage for Ajayi to realise his ambition. Some have noted that the YPP is not prominent in Ekiti and that would definitely affect his chances. Talk of chances, permutations and calculations will be a thing of the past in the next 24 hours as the man or woman who will replace Kayode Fayemi at Government House in Ado Ekiti would most likely be known then.

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