BY FEMI AWOJOBI
“It once said that Every regime has a policy that sustains its forms”.
As the 2026 governorship election is fast approaching in Ekiti State, Politicians are coming up again from different political Parties to sell their preferred Candidates to the People of the State in order to either sustain power or hijack it, depending on the present Circle they belong to.
As of today, there are three major Political Parties with active members spreading across all nooks and crannies of Ekiti State going by the last both governorship and general elections in the State. Therefore, it is axiomatic and unparalleled that, many qualified Ekiti both Sons and Daughters will show interest in clinching the Tickets of the APC, PDP and SDP during the primary elections early next year.
However, in APC which is the ruling Party in the State, the incumbent Governor and his Cohorts are saying, they should be given a second term ticket of the Party based on consensus arrangement which has never happened in the checkered and political history of the State saying, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji has performed wonderfully well in the last two and half years as a Governor of the State.
The development has resulted in various financially-induced adoptions starting from Ekiti Central to South and now North Senatorial Districts of the State including another controversial endorsement under the Umbrella of Ekiti APC Caucus Members.
As an Ekiti Man, Mr. Oyebanji is eminently qualified to contest for second term no doubt, but the question everybody especially an average sane minded people unlike some opportunists in the State is asking now is that, has the Governor really performed beyond a reasonable doubt or shown any exceptional trait that can lead the State to a 21st century development and Indigenes to a land of prosperity?
“Real development or performance of any Governor in a particular State should be seen or felt in all the length and breadth of such State even without any publicity stunt or unreasonable propaganda that always confuse the People or shift their attention from the real issue of development to a cosmetic or surface-dressing ones”..
Going from Ekiti East, Gbonyin, Emure, Ise/Orun, Ikere and Ekiti South west LGAs ( South Senatorial District), Efon, Ekiti West, Ijero, Irepodun/Ifelodun and Ado LGAs ( Central Senatorial District) and Ikole, Oye, Ilejemeje, Moba and Ido/Osi ( North Senatorial District) of Ekiti State one can only notice staunted, malnourished and pale developments as the outlooks and surfaces of all communities across the State remained unchanged and stagnated despite the avalanche of resources both allocations and other grants that are accruing to Governor Oyebanji from the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration since the removal of oil subsidy.
Basically, some of the Organisers of the latest endorsements across the Senatorial Districts are either lacking in genuine ideas, being blind folded or bereaved of understanding of what a real development especially amidst abundant resources is all about or being desperate because of their personal pockets.
Though, some of them are literally participating in the ongoing endorsement Project based on “rob my back so that I rob your back” selfish political journey, especially those who are currently holding both elective and appointive positions, hence the fusing into the current system of assemblage or gathering together in the name of endorsement with little or no political ideology or focus in terms of real development for the benefits of the masses.
Apart from the usual gargantuan financial inducement from the State coffers for each of the Senatorial district inorder to endorse Mr. Oyebanji for a second term in Office, some other Political Leaders have been contributing generously towards such valueless Project at the expense of the electorate who campaigned and voted them into power under both rain and hot sun but later gained nothing in return up till today except failed promises and virtual absenteeism from their Constituencies.
In the Ekiti North Senatorial District endorsement rally, it was gathered that, the Senator representing the District, Sen. Cyril Fasuyi donated ten million Naira while two other House of Representatives members from the District, Hon. Akin Rotimi and Hon. Akinlayo Davidson Kolawole donated five million Naira each with other donations from political Office Holders and Leaders.
For instance, in Ido Ekiti and the entire Ido/Osi LGA of Ekiti State where Sen. Cyril Fasuyi hails from, Ekiti government under Gov. Oyebanji is yet to execute or commission any meaningful project in the Community or LGA in the last two and half years despite the fact that, Ido Ekiti town produces a Senator, local government Chairman and a member, Ekiti State House of Assembly apart from other political Appointees same to various Communities of other Endorsers across the State. Therefore, one will wonder the real rationale behind their endorsements.
In an ideal Society, political Leaders with logical thinking for development and love of the People would have called the Governor for accountability or demand explanations on the running of the State and achievements recorded that could warrant a second term for such Leader. But; the era of good conscience has far gone among some of our political Leaders in Ekiti State because of their personal gains at the expense of the Masses.
Some of the political Leaders championing the endorsement as an agenda have forgotten that posterity awaits everyone based on their services to God and humanity. Leaders who cannot raise his or her hand up and say, Governor Oyebanji has successfully executed a particular meaningful project in their Town/ Community or entire local government area since inception but hurriedly raising money for the purpose of endorsement of such Governor could be best described as non- conscientious, Sycophant or Loafer.
Among the Endoosers is a Member of the National Assembly from Ekiti North Senatorial District who appointed some Aides and refused to pay them since December just less than six months after such appointments neither relate with the majority of them nor pick their calls whenever they needed to rob minds with him.
Also,another Legislator from the same senatorial District who said Governor Oyebanji has overperformed and he should be given a second term Ticket during the rally is being perceived as a desperate politician because of a great threat being posed on his second term ticket as a result of rumour of likely strong Politicians in APC to include; former Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi and former Senate committee Chairman on privatisation, Sen. Ayo Arise among others, to contest the North Senatorial ticket in 2027 with him.
“Anyway, politics atimes is foolish, if not People like such Toddler-thinking Politician shouldn’t ordinarily be elected as a Legislator of the highest Chamber of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
Though,the purpose of this article was not to fully discuss many atrocities of the present Government in Ekiti State under the leadership of Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, but, just as a reminder, Governor Oyebanji during a particular Radio programme once said, he had spent four billion Naira to raise about twenty six thousand broilers under his Agriculture revolution programme in the State, which means that Governor Oyebanji used an average of one hundred and fifty thousand Naira to raise a “Golden Broiler”. So, how much would one of such Broilers be sold to the Consumers?.
In Nigeria as of today, cost of living in Ekiti is amongst the highest whereas, the Governor ha d made us to understand that between last year and this year’s farming season, he had expended over six billion Naira on bush clearing for farming purpose in a State that its Ministry of Agriculture has no singular and functional Tractor for cultivating, ploughing, harrowing or ridging.
However, an average of one hundred and fifty million statistically, which translates to at least fifty million Naira per Senatorial District used by our Leaders on endorsements of Gov. Oyebanji can translate to a minimum of 30 Millionaires through a minimum of 5 million Naira each as an empowerment support per Youth in the State where most of the young men and women are jobless and living in abject poverty.
So, who is now fooling who in Ekiti in the name of endorsing Mr. Biodun Oyebanji for a second term in Office?
Femi Awojobi, journalist and media expert, writes From Ado Ekiti. He can be reached on 080 3764 3696.
