Ever the State of intrigue and confounding political transactions, Ekiti State has entered blog headlines again, with the emergence of former Governor, Segun Oni, as one of the gubernatorial candidates for 2022. Now that Ayodele Fayose may prove to be a strong ally, what is to come?
Of course, time will tell whether or not Fayose will hitch his wagon to Oni’s attempt to return to the Ekiti State gubernatorial seat; but where’s the fun in that? Associations, allegiances, and loyalties change in the blink of an eye, not to mention political camaraderies. Regardless, ever since Oni advertised his ambition, folks have been wondering.
For newcomers to the world of Ekiti State politics, Segun Oni was Governor between 2007 and 2010, failing to complete a full tenure before he was driven out of office by Kayode Fayemi, the man who eventually took the seat. Ayo Fayose came after Fayemi, making him (Fayose) the gubernatorial grandson of Segun Oni.
The relationship between Oni and Fayose is anything but simple. There was a time when they were sworn enemies, wanting nothing more than to ‘castigate, embarrass or undermine’ each other, which is interestingly the very thing that Fayose has warned party members against doing to Oni. Why? Because their feud is in the past.
Recall that Segun Oni left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to join the All Progressives Congress (APC). Recently, Oni announced his intention to return to PDP. Fayose, understandably, was one of the first to condemn such moves, reportedly referring to people like Oni as paperweights, with little understanding of care for what politics represents.
Political analysts have noted that Fayose’s roundabout change in perspective regarding Oni has to do with his battles: especially how Oni joined his (Fayose’s) banner to fight Senator Biodun Olujimi and co.
All in all, the bromance between Fayose and Oni might not be comprehensive for average minds. However, considering that the 2022 Ekiti gubernatorial election is less than a year away, their interests might actually align, and Fayose would happily hand over the PDP ticket to Oni. Who knows?
