APC, PDP, LP in battle of wills

L-R: Fayemi, Fayose and Bamidele

As the people of Ekiti State decide on who their next governor would be through their votes, the three major political parties in the state have been grossly engaged in a battle of wills with each party believing it would win in today’s election.

The major candidates contesting for the governorship election are Governor Kayode Fayemi of the All Progressives Congress, Mr. Ayo Fayose of the Peoples Democratic Party and Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele of the Labour Party.

Seven hundred and thirty-two thousand, one hundred and sixty-six voters registered for the election being conducted across 2,195 polling units in the state with 177 wards.

Of the 732,166 registered voters, 134,141 are in Ado Local Government Area; 22,845 in Efon Alaaye; 47,293 in Omuo; 42,285 in Aramoko; 40,856 in Ilawe; 27,091 in Emure; 42,267 in Ode, 43,070 in Ido; 49,274 in Ijero; 35,099 in Ise; 40,570 in Otun, and 49,918 in Oye.

The governorship candidates are banking on their areas of stronghold as one of the major factors that would earn them victory.

According to investigation, the three candidates are popular in Ekiti Central Senatorial District of the state.

Fayose and Bamidele hail from Irepodun-Ifelodun Local Government Area, but with different categories of supporters. While Fayose was said to have depended on commercial motorcyclists and some civil servants for support, Fayemi depends on the elite and professionals, among others. Bamidele relies on some factions of the APC and the PDP.

Fayemi’s deputy, Prof. Modupe Adelabu, who is from the Ekiti Central, also makes the APC candidate to be popular in the senatorial district.

Fayemi’s popularity in Ekiti North Senatorial District, where he hails from, is also an advantage to him.

Investigation has, however, shown that the three major parties would share votes in Ado, Ikere, Efon and Irepodun-Ifelodun local government areas.

While PDP was also said to be popular in Ise-Orun and Ikole local government areas, APC is a major dominant party in Ekiti West and Ijero local government areas.

In Emure Local Government Area, LP is a dominant party, while APC and PDP are popular in Ekiti East and Oye local government areas.

The LP is likely to also share votes with PDP in Ido-Osi Local Government Area, but in Gboyin, Moba and Ekiti South-East local areas, APC and PDP will slug it out in their attempts to win votes.

The investigation, however, revealed that APC would carry the day in Ilejemeje Local Government Area.

The governorship candidates have, however, carried their campaign trains to various organisations, groups and individuals to seek support.

The candidates have also visited traditional rulers in their various palaces for royal blessing.

They promised effective leadership through the initiation and implementation of robust and people-friendly policies.

During their various campaigns, the candidates listed areas that would occupy their priorities with emphasis on workers’ welfare and investment in education.

For instance, Governor Kayode Fayemi of the All Progressives Congress during the week took to Twitter in the last leg of his campaign for second term in office.

Fayemi brought to fore the achievements recorded by his administration in the first term.

He tweeted, “Dear Ekiti people, it is four days to that day when we have to choose wisely. Let’s remember it’s one man, one vote as we cast our votes.

“For almost four years now, my team and I focused on restoring public confidence in government by putting the people first.

“We put the people first in development planning and execution by interacting with them on what their needs are.

“We reformed governance on the basis of openness, transparency, selfless-service, priority and accountability in the management of public funds.

“The results are there for all to see in the programmes and social welfare that we have delivered so far.

“I am inspired by those of you who strongly believe in the values of honour and integrity to continue to cast your lot with us.”

To seek sustained royal blessing, the APC candidate promised to continue to accord the welfare of Ekiti traditional rulers an utmost priority for them to perform the task of ensuring peace and stability in the state.

He stated this early in the week in Ado Ekiti while presenting vehicles to Attah of Ayede-Ekiti, Oba Mumini Orisagbemi, and the Olupole of Ipole-Iloro, Oba Oladele Babatola.

Represented by his Special Adviser, Chieftaincy Affairs, Chief Aderemi Ajayi, Fayemi said all the monarchs in the 131 towns in the state were presented vehicles by his administration in 2013 with the exemption of the two traditional rulers, who had not ascended the throne at that time.

During last weekend rally organised by the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union of Congress in his support, the APC candidate promised workers that his government would promote their welfare. Urging the people to come out on Saturday to vote for him, he said, “Nobody can intimidate us. It is true there are soldiers and police in town. We are the one paying their salary so they are here to protect us.”

The NLC President, Abdulwaheed Omar, led other National Executive members on a courtesy call on the governor after the Congress’ National Administrative Council and the Central Working Committee meetings in Ado-Ekiti.

Ayodele Fayose

The Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate, Mr. Ayo Fayose, promised to provide jobs for youths if elected governor.

He promised to use his robust relationship with the Federal Government to ensure that Ekiti indigenes were allotted more slots in the Federal Civil Service, the military and the police, thus creating more jobs for the people.

At a forum with the state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress, he told workers that he would not victimise anyone if elected.

Fayose also promised to re-employ workers “unjustly” sacked by Fayemi’s administration.

The PDP candidate said he would prioritise the development of agriculture to encourage more people in the state to embrace the sector.

He specifically promised to initiate a buyback mechanism whereby the state government would buy produce from farmers in a bid to encourage more people to venture into farming.

Fayose said, “Most people do not want to go into agriculture anymore because it is not mechanised. They toil and cannot feed themselves. We must address it through mechanised farming. The key problem in agriculture here is the buyback mechanism. When you plant, you plant yam and you have a season for it and it gets bad because you cannot keep it. The government must be a buyback body.

“When you get mango, you cannot preserve it and it spoils, the farmer will be discouraged the next year. The government must be able to buy back these products. As a farmer, if your products are destroyed, you will get discouraged. Any government that wants to sustain agriculture must have a buyback mechanism and that is what I want to do.

“The same goes for the health sector. There is nothing wrong in buying drugs but at what rate? Today, you will find out that drugs in the hospital are getting more expensive. So, there should be control measures and intervention. There will be a situation in the health sector where all stakeholders have to come together and do a revolving fund to sustain medication.”

In the area of infrastructure, the PDP candidate boasted that he constructed all the major roads in the state during his first tenure. According to him, the current administration never built any new road but only embarked on road maintenance. He promised that he would construct more new roads in the state.

The former governor promised that he would not ban or restrict the activities of commercial motorcyclists.

He said physically-challenged persons and albinos would be given better care if he is elected governor.

During his meeting with various associations of artisans in the state, Fayose promised to ensure that all government contracts were done by indigenes.

The PDP candidate said local contractors would be patronised as part of the strategies to facilitate creation of jobs for the people.

Opeyemi Bamidele

Like his counterparts, the Labour Party candidate, Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele, also embarked on last minute campaign to get more supporters.

Already he has visited all the 16 local government areas in the state telling the people his plans for them.

To him, attention would be focused on creation of jobs for the youths.

Bamidele stated this during a meeting he held with the youths early in the week in Ado-Ekiti.

He also assured parents that he would slash the tuition fees in all the state’s tertiary institutions.

Bamidele said, “The current administration does not have the interest of the masses at heart. This has been demonstrated in all areas particularly in the tertiary education sector where exorbitant fees are being charged not minding the peasant nature of Ekiti residents

“It is against the philosophy of the founding fathers of the LP to charge schools at cut-throat rate and we shall not deviate from that. How do you expect a peasant farmer to send his wards to school with this kind of extortion?

“Go to Ondo State where the LP is in control and ask parents there how much they are paying in a similar institution even with better facilities and more conducive work environment for students and lecturers.

“Today, Ondo State charges N25,000 in Adekunle Ajasin University while APC in Ekiti is charging N150,000 and you can see the difference. I promise you that we shall replicate that policy in Ekiti State when we get to office. We will not make tertiary education an expensive commodity for your sons and daughters.”

It, however, came as a shock to Bamidele when news went round the state that he had not done anything for his hometown, Iyin Ekiti.

Some Fayemi’s aides, led by Chief George Ojo, addressed a press conference in Ado-Ekiti where they claimed that Bamidele had not contributed to the development of the town and didn’t deserve to be supported.

They described Bamidele as a failure and someone of no value to the community.

But Iyin-Ekiti elders rallied round the LP candidate whom they called their son and warned those sponsoring false news to desist from such.

The spokesman for the community elders, Chief Ojo Ogundare, described the tirades against Bamidele as unfortunate, saying that although the LP candidate is about 50 years old, he ranks within the first three in the hierarchy of those who have contributed financially towards the development of the town.

Recently, the LP candidate held talks with the Ekiti State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress where he promised to integrate the NLC into his government if elected the next governor.

Bamidele said the decision followed the need to stop the recurring disagreements between the NLC, other trade unions and governments at various levels.

Copyright PUNCH.
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.

Contact: editor@punchng.com