Gbenga Sodeinde writes that the political net of the All Progressives Congress in Ekiti state recently caught a ‘big fish’ in the person of the Action Democratic Party’s governorship candidate during the 2022 gubernatorial election in the state, Erelu Kemisola Elebute-Halle.
Without mincing words, Erelu Kemisola Elebute-Halle ’s defection is a major achievement for the APC in Ekiti state as her strange emergence on the political scene of the state has drastically changed the political narrative. Her sudden arrival has signaled a new era for the female gender in Ekiti politics because the trailblazing politician emerged as the first female governorship candidate in the history of the state.
Elebute-Halle had like a colossus bestrode the political landscape of the state and made significant impact as a governorship candidate in the 2022 gubernatorial polls. She has been the sole financier of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), under which she ran for governorship during the last gubernatorial poll in the state.
She made spirited efforts to win by leaving no stone unturned with all her formidable structure before she finally made history by coming fourth at the polls, gathering more votes than some other contestants who were not even first timers like her.
At the end of the gubernatorial poll, APC’s Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji emerged victorious with a landslide with Engr. Segun Oni of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) coming second and Otunba Bisi Kolawole of the PDP coming third. Erelu Elebute came fourth in the keenly contested poll.
As a result of several factors, Erelu Elebute became a force to be reckon with. As the sole financial of ADP, she had no godfather. She had also single-handedly coordinated her political campaigns in the state from ward levels, across the 16 local governments to the state.
She singlehandedly financed all other aspirants and candidates to contest various political positions in ADP in the state. Her philanthropic gestures knows no bounds as she had assisted many individuals and groups through her NGO which she founded to assist people with genuine cases of needs and empowerment. Such humongous empowerment she had done to many people irrespective of their political parties and tribes within the state and outside.
Elebute-Halle, equally parades intimidating credentials politically and otherwise. She had served as both the Director-General, ADP 2023 Presidential Campaign and the party’s National Deputy Chairman, South.
She has an excellent track records of supporting her former party financially and contributing immensely towards the growth snd development of the party at the national level.
Governor Oyebanji’s dragnet couldn’t have missed this ‘big fish’ because he had really worked hard for it as his efforts and unique system of governance actually brought all the opposing camps to rally round him rather than distracting and giving him a hard time as opposition parties.
Oyebanji’s style of leadership in Ekiti has been highly accommodating hence he has endeared himself to the opposition.
On assuming office, the Ekiti governor promised an all-inclusive government for the sake of impacting on Ekiti people positively. He had actually worked the talk by making sure that he visited virtually all the leaders of thought as well as opposition political leaders and stakeholders both within and outside the state to urge them to rally round him and participate in the development of the state with assurances that he will not fail them.
He followed his declaration and promises with action plans by ensuring that he considered the opposition party members in his cabinet and offered them appointments. News also had it that Oyebanji did not stop at that but went ahead to pay all their outstanding allowances and entitlements.
Another thing that Governor Oyebanji did that seems to have made him win the hearts of oppositions in the state was his outstanding performance, particularly in the area of physical developments and his commitment to infrastructural transformations since he became the governor.
Giving one of the reasons that endeared her to the governor, Erelu Elebute-Halle said, “Governor Oyebanji is a very humble man. We share some attributes particularly in the areas of humanitarian gesture. Look at how far he has affected lives of some individuals positively in Ekiti in such a short period of time.
“Apart from this, Oyebanji is service-driven. If you look at what he has been able to do in the last few months, he should be commended. Politics apart, let’s be sincere!
“Before now, Ekiti State seemed to have been completely cut off from the rest of Nigeria, but under him, most of our federal roads that were hitherto in deplorable condition are being fixed and reconstructed. For example, Iluomoba-Ijesa Isu-Ilawe roads are getting attention.
“Now, one can link and connect any part of the country within a short time. I felt if God has given us a leader who is doing well like this, one should say thank you to him for taking good care of the Ekiti people. But that is a service he has sworn to give us and he is doing it well.”
Now that the ADP’s governorship candidate has dumped the party for ruling party in the state. According to her, she took the decision to leave ADP after consulting widely with stakeholders, pointing out that she noticed that most parties that invited her to join them were only after her money.
Elebute-Halle, who said that there had been entreaties to her by different political parties to join them after the 2022 Ekiti governorship poll, said that after considerations, she saw the APC as the best bet “since that is where I have a lot of friends”.
A cording to her, she opted for APC “because of the love I have for the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s administration and the love I have for the Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji. The governor and the APC family appreciate and celebrate me. I have made up my mind, I will be leaving ADP”.
APC, she stressed, is a party that cares and Governor Oyebanji showed her love and respect beyond her expectation. The former gubernatorial candidate said she was particularly happy that APC celebrated her and supported her during her father’s burial and that she was prompted to join the party because of the love she received from Governor Oyebanji.
The politician, who said she would miss her former party where she had grown politically, told members, “I will not leave you empty, I will not forget you. Though I am leaving, I will be with you in spirit”.
Elebute-Halle told the party members that she would be leaving them in the hands of a trustworthy ADP State Chairman, Hon. Ayodeji Ojo, who she said would restructure and pilot the party well in Ekiti State for the benefit of members.
In his reaction, the ADP State Chairman, Ojo, said though the party was not happy with Elebute-Halle’s decision to leave, there was nothing it could do to stop her.
Ojo told the former governorship candidate, “We are not happy that you are leaving, but like you have said, you are an adult and entitled to your decision. We are not happy to release you, but we can’t hold you back. We wish you the best”.
The ADP chairman lauded Elebute-Halle for her contributions to the party in Ekiti State, saying, “You projected ADP more than you met it.”
Though, there has not been public reception for her at the state level however she has been received at the local government and ward levels. She was received as a member of APC by Aare Afolabi Ogunlare, Leader of the APC in Ward 10 in Ikole-Ekiti alongside the Ward Chairman of the party, Ogunsunmosule Tunbosun at the Ward secretariat in Oke Ayedun, Ikole-Ekiti.
Welcoming Elebute-Halle to the ruling party, Ogunlare said she is a proven material that will be an advantage to the party and Ekiti State.
He said: “Elebute-Halle is a value. She is just like salt, if you go to the market to buy salt you don’t taste it because the taste is already proven. So, she is already a proven material; even when she was not the winner of that election she continued to touch the lives of the people. If such a fellow comes to a winning party, it is going to be a lot of advantage to that party.”
Expressing her delight upon being unveiled by the APC, Elebute-Halle said she would serve the party and join forces with the present administration for the growth and development of the state.
Her words: “I have my friends in the party. I feel much more comfortable in APC because of the way our Governor is working and again I believe in the renewed hope agenda of his Excellency, Bola Tinubu.
“I am a service-oriented leader and that is the same thing I told my followers in ADP. So for me, I am coming to APC to serve. I am a naturally born humanitarian person. I am not expecting anything from anyone.”
An elated Ward 10 APC Chairman, Hon. Tunbosun said “her value is very great for us, we really need her. We have been looking for her for long to join us and we commend her bold step today.”
Hundreds of her supporters, party faithfuls, party leaders and top government dignitaries graced the occasion to celebrate the big fish who is currently the new bride of the ruling APC.
