The tempo of political activities has increased in Ekiti State following the release of governorship election timetable by the Independent National Electoral Commission. Akinwale Aboluwade, in this piece, examines the countdown to the election
Politics in Ekiti State is becoming increasingly interesting with more than 30 aspirants jostling to emerge as the winner in the oncoming governorship election. Joining the fray is a former leader of the All Progressives Congress, Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele, who until lately was locked in fierce contest with incumbent Governor Kayode Fayemi for the governorship ticket of the APC. Among the long list of aspirants is an aspirant on the platform of the Accord Party in Ekiti, Mr. Kole Ajayi. Already, politicians are engaging in talks, meetings and covert negotiations and scheming in view of the emerging political contest. The scramble for the highest political position in the state has intensified, following the announcement of June 21, 2014 date for governorship election in the state.
Although the Independent National Electoral Commission has yet to allow aspirants engage in campaigns, there are clear signs that the mood is upbeat. Long convoys of politicians moving round the state for surreptitious meetings are commonplace. Some politicians have defied the electoral law by engaging in different forms of campaign activities while the embargo has yet to be lifted by the electoral umpire. In a bid to circumvent the INEC directive, some aspirants hold rallies and canvass votes on different occasions in the guise of having mere political meetings.
A rally organised by the representative of Ekiti-North Federal Constituency, Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele, was halted by the police on the grounds that it was in violation of the electoral law. The crowd of supporters and onlookers, who witnessed the event, were dispersed with tear gas. Some members of the Road Transport Employees Association of Nigeria and the National Union of Road Transport Workers earlier barricaded the major road from Ajebandele in Ajilosun area to Okeyinmi junction area of Ado Ekiti, the state capital in protest against the rally.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Ekiti Command, Mr. Victor Babayemi, said the rally was stopped because INEC had not lifted the embargo on political rally in the state. He noted that Bamidele and his supporters violated Section 99 of the Electoral Act 2011 as amended, saying that the group embarked upon political campaign and not just a rally on the occasion.
Commenting on the issue, the Labour Party in the state said that the ruling APC was creating an atmosphere of insecurity. Describing the development as a bad omen in politics, the state chairman of the party, Mr. Akin Omole, said, “It is now a crime in Ekiti for opposition parties to hold meetings and conduct their businesses in an atmosphere of peace because of fear of possible attack by party thugs.
“Today, Ekiti is being run like a police state. Opposition political parties in the state can no longer hold meetings. Our meeting was disrupted in Ilawe-Ekiti and our chairman in that council was beaten up by APC members. We reported the case but the Divisional Police Officer did not do anything. Little wonder, they were bragging around that they are the ruling party in Ekiti. This is a bad development and we will no longer tolerate all these”.
In his reaction, the Director of Media and Publicity, APC, Mr. Segun Dipe, said, “It is only LP that can explain what it means by alleging that Ekiti is now a police state. If by police state it meant that the citizens are being well-protected, we take that as a compliment and even wish to do more. But if it says it is not feeling secured, which I doubt, then the party is saying it is afraid of its shadows. LP is clueless and wants to blame its cluelessness on APC.”
Prior to the release of the governorship election timetable for Ekiti State, Feyisetan, wife of former governor, Ayo Fayose, predicted her husband’s return to Ekiti State Government House after the 2014 governorship election. The prediction is a signal that the race to the Okesa Government House might have taken a spiritual dimension. Like other aspirants in the race, the declaration by INEC has further spurred the campaign team of Fayose to action. While many hold the believe that the PDP was far from victory in the governorship, Fayose was optimistic of his return to the Ekiti State Government House, saying, “The time is up for the present government because the PDP has come to take over the administration of Ekiti State.”
The desire of the Minister of Police Affairs, Caleb Olubolade, to run for Ekiti State governorship is not clear yet as he appears to have slowed down on his moves. Before now, there was a rumour that he was the President Goodluck Jonathan’s choice as PDP candidate in the race. However, there were indications from Abuja that the Presidency has no anointed candidate in the Ekiti election.
If still interested, the former Military Administrator of Bayelsa State is an aspirant to look out for as one of the heavyweights in the governorship contest.
An aspirant and a leader of the party in Ekiti, Chief Dayo Adeyeye, hailed the timetable release by INEC, saying the PDP will flush out the Fayemi-led APC government in the election. He said, “The PDP is united in this struggle to get the rudderless administration of Fayemi out through the ballot. The task to get the APC out of power is a collective effort, which every Ekiti PDP leader is ready to do in order to move our dear state forward.”
However, the INEC in Ekiti State has warned politicians against the breach of the electoral law. It also advised stakeholders in the oncoming election to desist from incitement and violence. The state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Alhaji Halilu Pai, while addressing journalists on the governorship poll at the commission’s secretariat, said it was wrong for aspirants and their parties to commence campaign before the stipulated date.
According to him, the display of campaign billboards and posters by aspirants in the state is illegal and unacceptable. He said engaging in campaign while the commission has yet to announce the election date, would attract severe punishment.
Pai added that, “Politicians should wait for INEC’s directive and for embargo to be lifted. It has been clearly spelt out that campaign should not begin until 90days to election. We must plan very well and follow the electoral law strictly. Posting of posters and mounting of billboards at this time is illegal and tantamount to campaign for election. This can only be done not earlier than 90 days to the election as specified in the Electoral Act. Posting of posters and billboards by aspirants is heating up the polity. The honourable thing to do is to remove them and wait for the right time.”
On the level of the commission’s preparedness for the elections, Pai said Direct Data Capturing Machines would be deployed to conduct upgrading and review of voters’ status, where those that had not registered would have the opportunity of doing so before election. Recalling that no fewer than 93,000 cases of double registration were detected before the Anambra election, he said the Automated Fingerprints Identification System would be deployed where necessary.
He said, “Those with double registration would be allowed to vote after the irregularity has been corrected. But this will not stop us from ensuring that they are punished.” The REC added that efforts were on to ensure that those that relocated from their former addresses were given opportunity to transfer their registration to preferred units.
Meanwhile, a former Nigerian Envoy to Canada and Peoples Democratic Party governorship aspirant in Ekiti State, Mr. Dare Bejide, has urged all intending candidates to play the game according to the rule and adhere to the directives of the election umpire. Bejide, who noted that the political sphere would fully come alive when PDP candidate emerges, said it was too early to determine the party with more clout. He said, “Ekiti people need a visionary and intelligent personality who can effectively pilot them into the great future of their dream. The period when people engaged in violence rather than intellectual issues aided by wealth of experience is over. We need a candidate that has wide acceptance. Our people must come together and have a mature candidate with deep depth of experience”.
Bamidele also stressed the need for all players to be sincere and demonstrate their loyalty to the agenda of the Ekiti people. In an open letter to Fayemi, he said the promise by the governor that his administration would support a hitch-free election in the state was incredible and strange to the people of Ekiti. Bamidele, who lamented his experience in the governorship contest, said, “I have taken my time to read through your New Year message of January 1st, 2014 in which you, among other things, expressed your concern for security of lives and properties in the state.
“Your Excellency, how would I and my constituents believe your professed commitment to protection of properties if I made statutory payments to the Signage Agency under your office to mount 16 billboards as an elected representative to wish people who elected you and I into office a Merry Christmas and a
Happy New Year on the 22nd of December 2013 and, in less than 48 hours, your political appointees destroyed the billboards?
“How will you explain the fact that you and your cronies are the only elected and appointed public servants or statesmen who can air their views and programmes on the Broadcasting Service of Ekiti State?”
However, in his reaction, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Yinka Oyebode, described Opeyemi’s allegations as an outburst of a liar and mischief maker. Oyebode said, “Opeyemi Bamidele is either genuinely ignorant or is deliberately mischievious. Whichever is the case, it is important to say that his letter is a potpourri of outright lies and deliberate distortion of issues.
“MOB should be blamed for introducing violence to Ekiti politics. The rising tension in the politics of Ekiti started immediately he joined the race with his penchant for importing thugs from Ondo State to cause mayhem in Ekiti. He remains the greatest threat to the 2014 poll. But the good news is that the 2014 contest is about Ekiti development and not about brigandage which the MOB and his gang represent.”
Interestingly, the people of Ekiti are of the opinion that the governorship election in Ekiti State could be peaceful, free and fair if politicians would adopt the spirit of sportsmanship and allow the people’s votes to count.
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