Ondo State gubernatorial candidate and renowned Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Eyitayo Jegede, just stepped into his 60s. With so much happening in Ondo regarding the last governorship election, the Peoples Democratic Party candidate still entertained the felicitations and goodwill messages upon becoming a sexagenarian. Even at 60, Jegede’s momentum is nowhere near spent but still—to quote Lord Tennyson—striving and unyielding.
At his recent 60th birthday celebration, Eyitayo Jegede was bathed with a deluge of eulogies, jolly remarks, and petitions to remain in top physical and political condition. Even those who might be considered his party opponents any other day noted that the Ondo political pavilion would be significantly less colourful without Jegede’s presence and prowess. A telling fact indeed when a man’s allies and adversaries agree on the same thing.
But Jegede has proved himself time and time again as an unyielding character with more devotion to his cause than one would expect of a legal practitioner. Perhaps it is all because leadership means something else to him than it does to others, but Jegede remains resolute to see his vision of Ondo State brought to being with his own hands.
Eyitayo Jegede was the underdog (against incumbent Governor Rotimi Akeredolu) during the last Ondo State guber. Raising the PDP umbrella, Jegede was able to gather 195,791 votes to himself. However, this was still insufficient to challenge Akeredolu. Eventually, the latter won with more than 90,000 votes, and Jegede filed a petition at the Election Petition Tribunal to challenge Akeredolu’s victory.
At the moment, Jegede’s petition has been nullified, meaning that Akeredolu will remain the duly-elected Governor of Ondo State. Any other man would wallow in self-pity—just not Jegede.
Even though he has done this dance thrice now, Jegede’s political spirit appears to wax only stronger and stronger. Even time, the merciless catalyst of all things is rendered toothless in the face of Jegede’s strength of mind and purpose. Sixty years and counting, Jegede remains true to his pursuits and truer to himself.
