OPINION: EKITI 2026: STOP IT, I LIKE IT By Bejide Aladesanmi

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OPINION:

EKITI 2026: STOP IT, I LIKE IT By Bejide Aladesanmi

Ekiti State, the fountain of knowledge and land of honour, is uniquely different amongst the comity of states for many reasons depending on the topic of discourse or the personalities involved. My heart goes to Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji and the families of those who lost their lives to the gruesome and senseless killing recorded in Ado Ekiti few days ago. May God console and be with the affected families.

The unfortunate incidence has created unexpected hiatus to the endorsement dramas of the sycophants around the incumbent Governor of Ekiti State. The ongoing endorsement is sycophantic in nature, not only because of the wrong timing, but also because of the personalities involved. There is nothing wrong in endorsement but everything in life has got its time and season.

Oyebanji is yet to spend 2 years out of a 4-year tenure and yet these people are already shamelessly harassing and taunting real and perceived political enemies of his second term ambition. The ongoing game is more ridiculous because the Governor who should stay focus on making the best of the unmerited grace of God to magnanimously impress Ekiti people with good performance is the one desperately seeking endorsement for second term even before spending 20 out of 48 months tenure.

Novel, is the right word to describe the ongoing political shenanigans in Ekiti State now. Recently, Hon Ojuawo was blackmailed into making involuntary endorsement. The gentleman genuinely has no interest in contesting the governorship election with the incumbent in 2026. He is focus on justifying the present ticket in his hand as a member of the House of Representatives. However, his refusal to join the bandwagon of kowtowing endorsers unsettled the Governor and his handlers. They quickly blackmailed the man and successfully forced him to endorse Oyebanji for second term, even when there is no justification for it.

It’s unfortunate that nobody has endorsed Governor Oyebanji based on any significant milestone other than the widely celebrated feat of being friendly with everybody, as if Ekiti state was a war zone before now. It’s more pathetic because almost all the voluntary and involuntary endorsers, so far, are either desperately struggling to secure another term for themselves like the Governor or trying to ensure that the feeding bottles are not taking away from their mouths. The implication of this is that the interest of Ekiti people doesn’t really matter to the endorsee and the endorsers.

Oyebanji is gradually losing focus and getting himself distracted by his self-indulged praise singers. Well-meaning Ekiti people are getting disappointed daily by the ongoing celebration of inefficiency and mediocrity by the handlers of the governor. Governance has been reduced so much that even a handshake with President Tinubu is celebrated as a breaking news for Ekiti people. Breaking news: “Oyebanji commissioned another BAO game centre”. Breaking news: “Oyenbaji has visited Fayose 6 times in 18-months”. Breaking news: “Oyebanji signed MOU with Agbeyewa in USA”. What is the sense in going to the United States of America to sign MOU with Agbeyewa, an Ekiti based organisation and a subsidiary of Cavista holdings, a company wholly owned by Nigerians and established (according to its owners) to be the most successful investment and holding company in Africa? These are samples of the breaking news we see daily in Ekiti state.

Reasonably, it’s too early and unfair to judge an administration of 48 months by what it has done within just 20 months. That’s one of the reasons the ongoing, baseless endorsement doesn’t make sense to lots of people. What has Oyebanji done in Ikole and Oye LGAs to justify the support of the people in that federal constituency? What has he done in Ijero, Efon and Ekiti west LGAs to deserve the second term votes of that area? What has done in Moba, Emure, Irepodun/Ifelodun and other LGAs to make the people in those LGAs embrace his second term ambition? Unfortunately, the bitter truth is that Governor Oyebanji has done very little to justify his current ticket. That’s why people see his current thirst for endorsement as being too early and a mockery of good governance.

Oyebanji was personally present at the stakeholders meeting of the Ekiti State All Progressives Congress last week smiling and blushing like a tickled toddler, saying, “stop it, I like it” when the motion for his endorsement was moved and adopted. He came on board with an impressive political pedigree but unfortunately the reality of his political naivety is disappointing, notably his intolerance for dissecting voices. His current desire and that of his handlers to unjustly gag perceived and real oppositions may create self-inflicted quagmire for him in the long run.

Kayode Fayemi started well in 2010 and actually did his best to justify re-election in 2014 but he got carried away by the sycophantic rhythm of his praise singers. He was distracted so much and got drenched in petty politics that made him gloated over the suspension of the father of Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, MOB, as the chairman of his ward in Iyin Ekiti. Everybody with direct or indirect link with MOB then was treated like an outcast within the same political family. In the end, Fayemi lost the election with unexplainable margin that can only be adduced to “photochromic ballot papers”.

Oyebanji and his handlers are gradually toeing the line that almost led Fayemi to political oblivion now with systemic attack on Kayode Ojo and anyone linked or associated with him. Plans have been perfected to suspend the APC chairman of Kayode Ojo’s ward and also the only State executive officer from the ward. The duo were accused of hobnobbing with Kayode Ojo, their kinsman, and for this reason, they must be punished with suspension, and eventual removal later.

The worst disservice any politician can do to himself is to be surrounded with bootlickers who cannot hurt him with bitter truths. A tree doesn’t make a forest. That’s why leaders rely on the counsel and advice of people around them to succeed. Whoever told Oyebanji that goading his perceived opponents is the right approach, when he has not even justified the current ticket in his hand, is his number one enemy. What made you think Kayode Ojo is the only person that may contest the APC ticket with you? How many aspirants are you going to gag or goad before the end of your first term?

Stop it, I like it! Oyebanji and his handlers know what they are doing. They are working toward a desirable answer which may likely elude them. The governor came to the office through a stressless electioneering process. The APC ticket was handed over to him through an endorsement that ridiculed the primary election of the party. It is also on record that Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji was the first person to win governorship election in Nigeria without actually campaigning on the field. He was only seen twice at the Pavilion in Ado Ekiti during the flag off and closing of his campaign. He didn’t visit most of the wards and towns of Ekiti State to campaign because the governorship election was won by the APC long before the electorate cast their votes. The election was won on the day Chief Segun Oni was frustrated out of the PDP.

The ongoing game of Oyebanji and his handlers, therefore, is to recreate another smooth process for his second term bid. Already the deal for the soul of the PDP in Ekiti state has been signed and sealed with Fayose’s endorsement of the governor. Oyebanji has gone a step further to warm his way into the hearts of some notable stakeholders with his now noble unctuous mien. The only seeming obstacle ahead of his second term bid, even before reaching the middle of his first term ticket, are his perceived internal oppositions. Therefore, all hands must be on the desk to silent anybody that may want to aspire. There is also no room for anybody to be on the fence. You are either blackmail to endorse Oyebanji for a second term or be ready to be blacklisted as an enemy of the government.

Almost all members of the Ekiti caucus in the National Assembly have endorsed Oyebanji. Members of the Ekiti state House of Assembly, chairmen of LGA/ LCDA and Counsellors have also performed their own endorsement obligations. The Fayose-led faction of Ekiti State PDP has also endorsed the governor. As aforementioned, Oyebanji personally witnessed his endorsement by the exco and critical stakeholders of APC, Ekiti State. Despite this political ruse, one of the spokespersons of the government said last week that it was too early to judge the performance of the Oyebanji’s administration when challenged on the deplorable road network and other social amenities in Ekiti. Agreed, it’s too early to objectively assess the administration. What is therefore the basis for the unwarranted second term hullabaloo? “Stop it, I like it”, says BAO.

Bejide Aladesanmi writes from Oke-ori-omi, Ado Ekiti