Victor Ogunje writes that the impending 2022 governorship election in Ekiti State has created so much tension, heat, attraction and attention with agitations for zoning of the ticket to the Southern Senatorial District
The agitation is not peculiar to a party. It cuts across major parties. As it is resonating in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), so also is it reverberating audibly in the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The agitations are becoming deafening and creating serious abatross for the major political parties and political figures.
Without sounding exaggerative, it could be put aptly that it forms the major issue causing a serious fix in the two major parties in the state. They are becoming confused on daily basis that jettisoning such agitations regarded as way of ensuring equality in the system could spell doom for the polity.
Since the advent of democracy in 1999 , no one from the six local governments of the Southern enclave namely: Ekiti East, Gbonyin, Ikere, Emure, Ise/Orun and Ekiti Southwest, has tasted that seat. This has been agitating the minds of politicians and critical stakeholders, which makes it a serious issue prior to this election.
The politicians from that southern part, professionals, traditional rulers, are making serious case for the South in 2022. By simple arithmetic, it will be 23 years that the state has been savouring democratic rule and the South has not got a fair share. Everything has always favoured the Central and the North where the likes of Governor Kayode Fayemi, Segun Oni, Ayodele Fayose and Niyi Adebayo came from.
In actual fact, the Southern people were feeling alienated and tension has begun to mount on this zoning palaver. It has gone beyond a mere factor , it has become a real issue of monumental proportion as far as governorship is concerned in Ekiti.
Leading the Pro-zoning pack, is the PDP Senator representing Ekiti South in the Senate, Mrs Biodun Olujimi. In the countdown to the 2018 election, she was loud and dogged in her quest that someone from the South should get the PDP ticket.
That was the basis for which she formed a strong coalition with the former Minister of Works, Senator Dayo Adeyeye to wage the war. This must have accounted for why Fayose, who had earlier showed preference for his former Works Commissioner and Ado Ekiti born politician, Kayode Oso, quickly recanted and backed his then Deputy, Prof. Kolapo Eleka , who is from Ikere Ekiti for that election.
It is not out of place to aver that the APC too has not rested on this matter. Though, some strong forces like the APC Southwest Caretaker Publicity Secretary, Hon Karounwi Oladapo, had made nonsense of the zoning brouhaha. By his own permutations, he opined that Ekiti is predominantly homogenous in language, customs and way of life and that politics shouldn’t be allowed to divide the state.
As crafty as Karounwi’s analysis seems to be, the likes of Olujimi and other like- minds didn’t see anything reasonable in his self-conceited analysis. They believe that Ekiti’s political power shouldn’t be blindedly arrogated to only the Northern and Central sections at the expense of the Southern part.
Sharing the same viewpoint, Mr. Kayode Olubunmi Ojo, an engineer, said, “In Nigeria today, we are probably the most homogeneous state whereby we speak almost the same language, from Ikere to Otun, almost the same dialect. So we’re kind of homogeneous as a state. And as a result of that we don’t normally zone. Historically, if you look at it from 1999 to 2018 which was the last election we had, everybody contesting from all zones. So you can check that fact. And based on that, I don’t think there’s going to be any difference in 2022. What we want or project right now is actually who is the best person that can help us improve the viability of our state by bringing in investment, helping our schools, education; bringing in all the programmes that will benefit the people, putting pipe-borne water in people’s homes homes, all over the state. To tap into the God given resources that we have. So to me, that is more important than where you come from. I’m not saying that the southern people don’t have great people, we have great people in the south. But the way Ekiti is structured, everybody’s going to go to the polls and the people will choose who they want, no matter where the person is coming from. The person might be Mrs Oloro, Dr. Fayemi’s elder sister. If she is the best, so be it. I believe Ekiti electorates are extremely sophisticated and they’re going to choose who they want irrespective of where they come from.”
The fact that heavyweight politicians from the North like Segun Oni, Wale Aribisala and others from the Central like Secretary to the State Government, Hon. Biodun Oyebanji, the Chief of Staff, Hon. Biodun Omoleye and the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Wale Fapohunda, are covertly interested and angling for the ticket has also been a threat to the chances of the zone in both APC and the PDP. the two parties are in a state of lull and couldn’t say precisely for now how the pendulum will oscillate regarding this issue.
The fact that two members of the House of Representatives, Hons Femi Bamisile and Yemi Adaramodu, Senator Gbenga Aluko, the Commissioner for Public Utilities, Hon. Bamidele Faparusi, all of APC stock and former Deputy Governor, Kolapo Eleka of the PDP are interested in the race hasn’t signposted any assurance or given a ray of hope for the South, as the game gathers steam and traction.
The only lifeline for the zone in APC has been the rumour that Governor Kayode Fayemi had assured some monarchs in the zone that he would look their way this time. Though, Fayemi has never believed in sectional politics, but the pressure over zoning might make him waver this time.
The presence of Fayemi’s friend, ally and one of the eggheads of his administration, Prof. Mobolaji Aluko in the South, might also help the situation. Rumour has it that Fayemi has a soft spot for Aluko and he may end up being one of the anointeds for the plum seat.
Putting it in the right perspective, the chances have become so bleak for the South in the PDP owing to the foray of the popular Segun Oni into the race and the fact that former Governor Fayose has anointed his protege, Hon. Bisi Kolawole from Efon Local government in the Central Senatorial District.
With these intriguing games evolving in PDP, it will be an herculean task and miracle for the party to cede the ticket to the South, except an ebullient personality like Senator Olujimi shows interest in the game to challenge the heavyweights.
Also from the PDP flank, a renowned former bank chief, Mr. Kayode Adaramodu from Ilawe Ekiti Southwest local government, has joined the race . As finaciallly robust as he is, he is considered a greenhorn and minnow who can’t tango with either Oni or Fayose as far as PDP politics is concerned.
Periscoping Olujimi’s political influence, who is the most vociferous zoning advocate, one would decipher that she is an old horse with vast political experience and someone with full grasp of Ekiti politics. Apart from that, she has the financial war chest and muster admirers across party lines.
In Olujimi’s wisdom, she sees this fight as a battle of her life and a task that must be achieved at all costs. In actual fact, she has not only be fighting this in PDP where she belongs, the female Senator has also been ringing it rhetorically that the APC too must hearken to that clarion call that it is either South this time or no one.
Olujimi considered it a serious lopsidedness for the Central and North to consolidate their grips on the governorship seat at the expense of the South with wide range of politicians .
Tracing the educational and political history of the state, Olujimi said the first Professor of Economics in Ekiti, Prof. Sam Aluko, was from Gbonyin council area in Ekiti South.
Olujimi added that the only governor produced by Ekiti under the Old Ondo State, Evang. Bamidele Olumilua, was also from Ikere in the South. The Senator opined that the people were abashed how a district with such intimidating credentials could be so degraded and despised in Ekiti politics. She said the rhythm must change in 2022.
“I don’t think we should sit back and allow the South to be subjugated just like that. This is not about parties, but about justice and fair play. As I am canvassing zoning in the PDP, so also I am advising the ruling party to follow suit. We must play politics of morality here.
“Politics to me is not dirty, it is we the players that are playing dirty games. We need to be reasonable and allow someone from the South to take a shot.
“I am not seeing this fight as a personal one, it is collective. Politics doesn’t make one lacks conscience. Those saying zoning has no root in Ekiti politics were not being fair and sincere . It is a real issue we need to settle this time and I won’t sit back in the struggle to liberate my people this time.”
Though, Olujimi has not indicated interest in the governorship seat, but it was reliably gathered that pressure has started mounting on her to throw her hat into the ring .
Without mincing words, the former Minority Leader is very influential in Ekiti politics. Even the current governor, Kayode Fayemi has high regards for her political wizardry. She remains a figure that can match Fayose and Oni in all departments of the game in PDP primary.
During the countdown to the 2018 governorship poll, the Senator showed interest in the governorship race of the PDP. Due to fierce horsetrading and resoluteness to defeat the then Fayose’s candidate, Prof. Olusola Eleka in the primary, she stepped down for Senator Dayo Adeyeye. The outcome of the game, where Fayose, a sitting governor narrowly won the primary for his deputy substantiated the fact that Olujimi command’s respect in PDP.
With the ways thing are in Ekiti today, Senator Olujimi is now a darling of all parties in Ekiti. Due to her seeming irreconcilable differences with Fayose, some APC bigwigs have been reaching out to her to defect to the ruling.
The foregoing vividly attested to Senator Olujimi’s worth and influence in Ekiti politics. Those rooting for Oni’s return to the government house after 12 years outside power have been making overtures to the Senator to back the aspiration. This is because they see her as a potent force that can bolster Oni’s strength in the opposition’s primary and the main election.
The zoning duel has not also been left to Olujimi alone to fight. A group christened Ekiti South Agenda, has called for an end to the continuous marginalisation of the Ekiti South Senatorial District in the Political equations of the state.
Speaking at a Summit facilitated by Ekiti Elders Forum held on Thursday, 10th day of June, 2021, in Ado Ekiti, the group’s Coordinator, Ayodele Oguntuase, said it was wrong for the district with the second highest voting strength have tactically been schemed out of relevance in the polity of particularly producing a sitting governor in Ekiti State.
Other agitators and speakers at the event, Jide Ojaomo, Shola Oluwasinmirin and Tamale Augustine, lent their voices, pointing out that since the creation of Ekiti State and Democracy on the 1st of October, 1996 and 1999 respectively, Ekiti North and Central Senatorial Districts have produced governors in six regimes with each having three in the record while Ekiti South Senatorial District is yet to produce any sitting Governor.
They also demanded more support and cooperation of the Council of Obas, leaders and stakeholders of political parties, religious groups, students, unions, associations and Ekitikete in the diaspora, to join in the agitations for Ekiti South Agenda to earn the district the recognition it deserves.
Reacting to the raging controversy, the APC State Publicity Secretary, Hon Ade Ajayi, said all the zones have legitimate rights to vie for the governorship, saying the act of ceding tickets on zonal basis and structure, is alien to the constitution of the party .
Ajayi said from inception in 1999, politicians from all the zones had always been contesting primaries of major political parties. He was of the opinion that ceding the ticket to the South in 2022 would depend on lobbying by Southern politicians and stakeholders and not by any bragadoccio.
“Go and check your records, there is nothing like zoning in APC constitution. Secondly, politicians from the South have always been contesting for primaries in APC. Nobody stops them because it is a legitimate rights of all zones as guaranteed by the 1999 constitution.
“But my advice to the Southerners is that, they should lobby the Central and Northern Senatorial districts and if they concede it, the APC will abide by that . But we can’t just stop politicians from other zones from contesting because of anyone’s agitation, this is an abridgement of their rights.”
Ajayi’s counterpart from the PDP, Hon. Raphael Adeyanju toed the same line with his colleagues in APC, describing the issue as purely a constitutional matter.
Adeyanju stated that it is only the party that can take a definite position on the issue and not any individual. He appealed to those making the agitations to be civil and do it within the ambits of the law.
“The party is supreme on issue of this nature. Let us get one thing right, PDP is not a party that subscribes to illegality. We believe in the rights of all citizens but if we take a unanimous decision on any issue , such concession will be based on what the majority support. So, zoning might not be a bad thing, but its acceptability will be determined majorly by party members”.
There is no gainsaying the fact that both pro and anti- zoning politicians are upping their games contriving ways to outsmart one another and the people are waiting and expecting how the game would end this time.
There are two options under this context, it is either the agitations fail as witnessed in the past elections of 2014 and 2018 or gain attention of stakeholders in a magical and dramatic manner.
QUOTE
The zoning duel has not also been left to Olujimi alone to fight. A group christened Ekiti South Agenda, has called for an end to the continuous marginalisation of the Ekiti South Senatorial District in the Political equations of the state. Speaking at a Summit facilitated by Ekiti Elders Forum held on Thursday, 10th day of June, 2021, in Ado Ekiti, the group’s Coordinator, Ayodele Oguntuase, said it was wrong for the district with the second highest voting strength have tactically been schemed out of relevance in the polity of particularly producing a sitting governor in Ekiti State
