Friends Yesterday, Enemies Today as Ex-Deputy Governor Eleka Battles Fayose

Politics and self-interest are as inseparable as fire and heat. Moreover, they end up becoming their own nemesis. This is the case in the Ekiti State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party. After toiling under many moons as friends, former Governor Ayodele Fayose has become the villain to his friend and former deputy, Professor Kolapo Olusola (Eleka for short).

The chessboard was set up between Fayose and Eleka when the former announced his intention to support the gubernatorial aspiration of Chief Bisi Kolawole under the aegis of the PDP. Even though his good friend and old deputy, Eleka, also intended to compete for the Ekiti apex seat in the same PDP. Faced with acquiescing or moving against Fayose, Eleka has apparently chosen the latter.

According to Eleka, although Fayose commands significant authority in Ekiti PDP, he did not follow the due process before endorsing Kolawole as the main contender for the gubernatorial seat. On the contrary, Fayose is reported as following his own whim with little regard for the wishes of the remaining actors and stakeholders. Thus, will he abandon his own gubernatorial aspiration and throw his weight behind Kolawole? Apparently not.

According to reports on this, Eleka intends to put his nose to the grindstone and use the grand momentum of his supporters to overwhelm both Kolawole and Fayose at the PDP primary slated for next year, 2022. In the meantime, Fayose is troubling the waters by continuing to build a support base for Kolawole. Recently, the former governor went as far as pronouncing curses on any individual against Kolawole’s ambition and success. What Fayose has not done, which he did for Eleka in 2018, is lay hands on Kolawole’s head in a prophetic manner and foretell disarming and absolute victory at the polls. Politics is a tangled web indeed: able to arm two friends and launch them against each other.