Ado- Ekiti – Though 35 political parties will be participating in Saturday’s governorship election in Ekiti state, all eyes are on the two major political parties -the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which has Prof. Kolapo Olusola-Eleka, the incumbent Deputy Governor of the state  as its flagbearer  and main opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), which has as its candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, a former governor of the state who until his resignation recently was the Minister  of Mines and Steel Development.

16- 0 Hurricane

Though Olusola is the one slugging it out with Fayemi, many political observers, including Ekiti residents see it as more of a contest between Ayo Fayose, the outgoing governor and Fayemi. During the governorship election conducted on June 21, 2014, Fayose polled  a total of 203,090 votes to defeat other candidates who participated including Fayemi, the then governor who had 120,433 votes.

In the breakdown of the final result, Professor Azuzu said “we have come to the grand finale of this exercise. Accord -268, AA -146, APC-120,433, AD-843, CPP-967, LP 18,125, KOWA -222, CPP-967, PDP-203,090, MPPP- 137, NCP-322, PDC-921, PPA-1050, SDP-65, UDP-67.

Fayose won the election in all the 16 local government areas of the state, scoring about 57.9 per cent of the total vote cast.

In Ado-Ekiti, Fayose got 41, 169 votes to beat Fayemi who had  13, 927 votes. While Fayose polled 5,335 votes in Efon Local Government Area,  Fayemi had 3,422.

In Emure Local Government Area, Fayose had 7,086 while Fayemi got 4,332. Fayose also got 11, 200 votes in Oye Local Government Area while Fayemi polled 10, 176 votes.

While Fayose had 3,670 votes in Ilejemeje Local Government Area, Fayemi got 3,336. In Ikere Local Government Area, Fayose scored 16,197 votes while Fayemi had 7,989.

Fayose also won in Ikole Local Government Area with 14,238 votes with Fayemi scoring 8,804.

Fayose also got 11,038 votes in Ekiti South West Local Government while Fayemi had 6,745. While Fayose had 13,814 votes in Ijero Local Governement Area, Fayemi scored 9,348. In Fayose’s Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government, he had 13,038 votes while Fayemi came second with 6,834. Fayose was also victorious with 12,498 votes in Ekiti East Local Government Area while Fayemi had 8,584. In Moba, Fayose scored 8,878 votes, while Fayemi had 7994. Fayose scored 10,136 votes in Ise/Orun Local Government to defeat Fayemi who got 5,809. In Gbonyin Local Government Area, Fayose had 11,046 votes while Fayemi  got 8138 votes. Fayose raked in 10,702 votes in Ekiti West Local Government Area while Fayemi had 7,860. In Ido-Osi, Oshoko as Fayose is popularly called had 13,045 votes to beat Fayemi  who  had 7134 votes.

Speaking in a recent interview, Senator  Babafemi Ojudu, Special  Adviser to the President on  Political Matters said this time, APC will win the entire 16 local governments in the state. “If there was 16-0 then, there will be another 16-0 in the coming election in favour of APC” he said.

Also speaking shortly after Fayemi won the governorship ticket of his party, Fayose in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Idowu Adelusi said the former Ekiti state governor’s victory has only positioned him to suffer a worse and more debilitating defeat than the one he dealt him in  2014.

“In 2014 when he was the sitting governor and I was not in power, I trounced him mercilessly. I gave him 16 – 0, defeating him in all the 16 local governments, including in his home town, Isan Ekiti, he did not win a single local government

” Now, I have been in power for more than three years and have served the people of Ekiti well. My legacy projects are there to speak for me, and for my party the PDP, as well as for our candidate in the July 14 governorship election, Prof. Kolapo Olusola-Eleka

“I promise that Fayemi will suffer the worst defeat of his political career. after the July 14 election, he will not only suffer embarrassing defeat, he will go into political oblivion afterwards

“He has nothing to celebrate because of the electoral disaster awaiting him. The manner of his so-called victory also leaves much to be desired as it has turned many of their party leaders and followers against him

“ To those who may not know, Fayemi’s victory has made the condition of APC worse in Ekiti. The party leaders and members know that Fayemi has no use for any of them beyond the July 14 election”, Fayose said.

Federal Might Allegations

One major issue that has dominated discussion among the political parties, especially PDP and APC is the use of federal might. While it was widely believed that the presidency under former President Goodluck Jonathan used federal might in Fayose’s favour in 2014, now that the table has turned with APC at the centre, Fayose is also alleging that the presidency under President Muhammadu Buhari is trying to use the machineries of the state in Fayemi’s favour.

Speaking on this, Olusola- Eleka said while it is clear that the APC is plotting to rig the election using federal might to skew the election in Fayemi’s favour, the power of the people of Ekiti will make that very impossible to accomplish that.

He said “Federal or no federal might, the might of the Almighty God is there and it is the greatest. And don’t forget the power of the people cannot be underestimated. Ekiti is not like Ondo State or any other state”.

“ If they have done that in Edo State, they cannot do that here. The people are ready to resist any form of fraudulent act because they know what they want. The power of the people is greater than those of us in power. We expect the security agencies to be impartial, but whatever happens we know that God is on our side. The God factor cannot be ruled out. When God says yes, no one can say no”.

In his reaction, Director-General Kolapo Olusola Campaign Organisation, Hon Bisi Kolawole said the party is waiting for Fayemi to come and use federal might in Ekiti, adding that it will fail. “We are waiting for him with his federal might and at the end of the day action and inactions nobody has the monopoly of anything”.

“So,  if he is coming to wage war on Ekiti people, it will be obvious that it is Fayemi that is drawing us back in this country. e are here waiting for him, but the fact is that, there are people on the ground in Ekiti that are waiting for him and his federal might.

Fayemi however said while the whole world is aware of how the federal government manipulated the election in Fayose’s favour, the APC as the ruling party will not act in a similar manner but ensure a free, fair credible polls.

“The events leading to the election of 2014 in Ekiti State negate the principles of a free, fair and credible election. From the militarisation of the election to the police attack on our supporters, arrest and detention of our leaders across the state and the use of huge funds to induce voters, the federal authorities skewed everything in favour of the PDP”.

“While we believe that the various security agencies indeed have a role to play in providing the necessary security for the election, we do not see why the whole state should be locked down in a non-belligerent situation like an election”.

“There are many questions begging for answers: who ordered the clampdown of the opposition? Who gave the orders to stop Governor Rotimi Amaechi from reaching Ado-Ekiti, as the Army captain who stopped and threatened to shoot him said he was acting under orders from above? Also worth mentioning is the flagrant abuse of national institutions that led to the country’s aviation authorities shutting down airports in Akure and elsewhere on the same day that our party had its last campaign rally in Ado-Ekiti”.

“This act of impunity was targeted solely at the opposition, and it runs against global standards. Lest we forget, on the same day the helicopter ferrying Governor Adams Oshiomhole from Benin Airport to Akure en route Ekiti for that final rally was prevented from taking off. Airports are never shut without the issuance of a Notice to Airmen. Again, who gave the orders for the closure of the airports? This is an attestation to the fact that the security operatives were in the state more for a  sinister motive than just to provide security for the election”.

“It is a known fact worldwide that dictators and criminals are the worst cowards. They are usually exposed at their weakest point when they are deprived of their weapon of intimidation, harassment and oppression”.

“The current whining of PDP this time didn’t surprise many of us. However, that is where we are different from them. We are not cowards like them and we cannot play their dirty games. Therefore, on our part, there will be no intimidation, harassment or oppression of opposition and every law abiding individual. We are set to win in a free, fair and credible process” he said.

However, Ojudu in a chat with journalists said Fayose is only afraid of his shadows based on how he was assisted with federal power to win in 2014. He said  President Buhari has demonstrated in clear terms that he will not deploy federal might to give undue advantage to one politician over  another.

“No, we don’t do that. You all witnessed the election in Anambra, did you see federal might or federal power? You have witnessed elections everywhere, President Buhari, the leader of our party and president of this country does not believe in federal might. He will tell you ‘go and work’. If today, I contested with his wife, Aisha, he will not raise a finger in favour of his wife. He will probably advise her on what to do to win the hearts of the electorates”.