Following the outcome of the Ekiti governorship election where a former governor, who was also a former Minister of Solid Mineral, Dr Kayode John Fayemi of APC, defeated the PDP’s candidate, Prof. Olusola Eleka, the outgoing deputy governor of Ekiti State, with 19,338 votes. All the parties have been counting their losses and gains. The Saturday, July 21st election had 35 political parties in the race with 14 candidates as some of the parties had either adopted PDP or APC ahead of the election. It’s no longer news that on Saturday, July 21st, Ekiti people took a great decision to vote for their chosen candidate in the person of His Excellency, Dr Kayode Fayemi, APC’s candidate for his second term. Recall that Gov. Kayode Fayemi, the incoming Governor of Ekiti State lost his second term election in 2014 to the outgoing governor of Ekiti State, His Excellency, Peter Ayodele Fayose of the PDP. And now history has repeated itself for the second time. In the history of Ekiti state, two former governors have been re-elected few years after leaving office.
Before the much talked about Ekiti election, which attracted many interest groups within Nigeria and outside the country, the belief is that both PDP and APC are strong across the 16 local government areas, which comprises 3 Senatorial districts (South, North and Central Districts) in the fountain of knowledge state, Ekiti State. But following the outcome of the election, many prominent Ekiti politicians, who won their units and wards couldn’t deliver their local government and those who lost their units and wards were able to deliver their local government. Going by the INEC results, APC won 12 local governments including, Gov. Peter Ayodele Fayose’s Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Fayose lost his local government area to APC, while PDP won 4 local governments including Ado local government area, where the deputy governor-elect Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi, comes from Senator Babafemi Ojudu, Senator Fatima Raji Rasaki and a former deputy governor, Prof.(Mrs) Modupe Adelabu, lost to PDP. In this report, City People’s ADEOLA SHITTU, brings you list of 20 prominent politicians who didn’t deliver their local government in the Ekiti election.
GOV. AYODELE FAYOSE
Gov. Ayodele Fayose who hails from Afao Ekiti in Irepodun/Ifelodun local government area of the state, delivered his wards for his party but couldn’t deliver his local government Irepodun/Ifelodun which comprises 11 towns (Are Ekiti, Iyin Ekiti, Igede Ekiti, Awo Ekiti, Iworoko Ekiti, Igbemo Ekiti, Iropora Ekiti, Afao Ekiti, Esure Ekiti, Eyio Ekiti, Araromi Obo Ekiti). Though the local government couldn’t have been a walk over for PDP because most of the key federal appointment went to Iyin Ekiti, one of the 11 towns that make up the local government. The likes of Ambassador Eniola Ajayi, Ambassador to Hungary, Former Governor and the current APC South West Vice Chairman, who also doubles as Board Chairman of FAAN, we also have Hon Opeyemi Bamidele, a former member of House of Reps among others, so the bulk of the result was from Iyin Ekiti.
AMBASSADOR
DARE BEJIDE
He is another prominent politician in the history of Ekiti state having served as SSG and Ambassador to Canada. He was formerly in PDP before he left to join SDP, having lost the ticket to a young vibrant politician Akin. He emerged PPN’s candidate, though he hails from Ilawe Ekiti in Ekiti South West Local Government. This local government comprises of 4 towns (Ilawe Ekiti, Igbara Odo Ekiti, Ogoyun Ekiti, Ikogosi Ekiti), but the strength and force of PDP and APC in Ilawe. He was not able to deliver his town to his party PPN.
MO’OBA SEGUN ADEWALE
Aeroland as he is foundly called hails from Ijero Ekiti. This local government had 14 towns that make up Ijero local government. He was the governorship candidate for ADP, he didn’t only lose the election but he was also betrayed by his running mate Tonia Omosuni whom he said defected to APC less than 24 hours to the election, which disstabilised his party from performing well. It will also be recalled that the local government is one of the strong base of PDP that also lost to APC. Ijero Ekiti LG (Ijero Ekiti, Ikoro Ekiti, Odowa Ekiti, Iloro Ekiti, Ara-Ijero Ekiti, Ayegunle Ekiti, Ijurin Ekiti, Ipoti Ekiti, Araromi Ekiti, Ilokuno Ekiti, Epe Ekiti, Iroko Ekiti, Pemidire Ekiti, Oke-Oro Ekiti).
OTUNBA BISI EGBEYEMI
Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi is the Ekiti State deputy governor- elect. Though his party won the election, but the deputy governor-elect lost his local government. Ado Ekiti that is believed to have the highest number of voters in the state and with the influence of Otunba, many thought APC would win Ado Ekiti local government but he was not able to deliver, the local government as PDP defeated them.
SENATOR DURO FAYEYI
Senator Duro Faseyi is the senator representing Ekiti North Senatorial District, which comprises Ikole Ekiti, Oye Ekiti, Ido/Osi Local government, Ilejemeje local government. He was not able to deliver not just his local government Ilejemeje, but the senatorial district, which many believe is a strong base of PDP. PDP lost all the 5 local governments to APC, with the help of a former Senator Ayo Arise, who felt his mandate was short changed for Duro Faseyi in 2015. When he wanted to re-contest for Ekiti North senatorial in 2015, he lost the primaries owing to influence of the outgoing governor, Dr. Ayodele Fayose . With the opposition of other APC politicians who make up the Ekiti North Senatorial districts, Senator Duro faseyi lost his Ilejemeje Local Government, which comprises 6 major towns (Iye Ekiti, Eda Oniyo Ekiti, Iludun Ekiti, Ewu Ekiti, Ijesamodu Ekiti, and Ipere Ekiti).
CHIEF GBOYEGBA OGUNTUASE
Ikole Ekiti which has over 24 towns (Oke Ayedun Ekiti, Ikole Ekiti, Ijesa Isu Ekiti, Otunja Ekiti, Ara Ikole Ekiti, Isaba Ekiti, Ipao Ekiti, Orin Odo Ekiti) with a third largest number of voters in Ekiti state. It’s PDP strong base. The State Party Chairman of PDP is from this local government though his party lost to APC with a margin of 561 votes.
SENATOR FATIMA
RAJI RASAKI
Talk of one experienced female politician in Ekiti and her name would be mentioned. She was a two-term House of Reps Lawmaker and in 2015 she won her Senatorial election to represent Ekiti Central Senatorial Districts at the National Assembly. She is the first female politician to go to the Senate. Her defection to APC from PDP a few days to the Ekiti governorship election made lot of headlines not only in Ado Ekiti but across her senatorial district but despite all she was not able to deliver her local government alongside other prominent APC stalwarts.
CHIEF BISI OMOYENI
This banker-cum-politician is one of the industrious son of Ikere Ekiti. He had served as Deputy Governor to Gov. Fayose during his first term. He left PDP to join SDP for some weeks before he pulled out and became an independent candidate under PANDEF who later merged with Mega party of Nigerian the platform which he contested the election, but he was not able deliver for his party.
DR SIKIRU TAE LAWAL
Dr. Sikiru Tae Lawal was a former Deputy Governor to former Governor, Engr. Segun Oni and the immediate past South West APC Vice Chairman. He was turbaned the first Baba Adinni of Ekiti Land. A few months back that he dumped PDP for Labour Party and he emerged the LP governorship candidate in the just concluded election. The believe was that as a Muslim candidate and the Baba Adinni of Ekiti land, he was going to pull some votes across the 16 local government, but he didn’t deliver any local government for his party.
SENATOR ABIODUN OLUJIMI
Name one influential female politician in the PDP and in Nigeria politics today, and Senator Abiodun will be among top 50 female power brokers in Nigeria. She has served as special adviser, lawmaker, commissioner and deputy governor and she is today the deputy minority chief whip at the Senate. As the senator representing Ekiti south senatorial district many believe she was in control of her senatorial district and she would deliver it for PDP, but she lost her local government, Ekiti East, which comprises 6 major towns ( Isinbode Ekiti, Omuo Ekiti, Ilasa Ekiti, Eda-Ile Ekiti, Araromi- Oke Ekiti and Ikun –Oba Ekiti) while her party PDP, won two local government areas.
HON FUNMINIYI AFUYE
Hon Afuye was a former majority leader of Ekiti State House of Assembly and a Two- Term Commissioner during Gov. elect, Dr. Kayode Fayemi’s, first term. As one of the APC stakeholders in Ikere Ekiti, it was believed that he would deliver Ikere Ekiti with the support of other APC stalwarts but APC lost the local government to PDP, which happens to be the strong hold of the PDP candidate.
- HON KOLA OLUWAWOLE
He is the speaker of Ekiti State House of Assembly representing Moba Constituency 1. Moba local government, which comprises of 13 major towns ( Otun Ekiti, Ikun Ekiti, Erinmope Ekiti, Osan Ekiti, Igogo Ekiti, Osun Ekiti, Aaye –Oja Ekiti, Iro Ekiti, Ira Ekiti, Epe Ekiti, Ikosun Ekiti, Irare Ekiti and Isa Oye Ekiti). Despite the APC, believe poor strength in Moba, many thought that the speaker of the house and other PDP stakeholders would deliver the local government for PDP but they lost it to APC.
SENATOR BABAFEMI OJUDU
One of the APC stakeholders in Ado Ekiti who many believed would deliver his local government for his party, APC, is Senator Babafemi Ojudu. But much was not known about and as his whereabouts he was not in the country during the election he was not so visible during the Governor- elect’s rally too. Though his supporters played an active role to ensure they win the local government, but APC lost it to PDP. It would be recalled that this Special Adviser to President on Political Matters and Former Ekiti Central Senator was one of the leading governorship aspirants in APC then before he stepped down some days to the primary election. He is a native of Ado Ekiti.
SENATOR ANTHONY ADENIYI
Senator Adeniyi is, no doubt, a big player in the politics of Ikere Ekiti. He was the immediate past senator, who represented Ekiti South Senatorial District between 2011-2015. The likes of him, Sesan Fatoba, Kola Alabi among others lost their local government to PDP in Ikere Ekiti.
CHIEF DIPO ANISULOWO
He is one of the veteran politicians in Ekiti Sate who had been in politics for decades. He was a former DG campaign for Prince Adedayo Adeyeye before he was appointed the chief of staff to Gov. Fayose. He hails from Awo Ekiti in Local Government Irepodun/Ifelodun, which comprises 11 towns (Are Ekiti, Iyin Ekiti, Igede Ekiti, Awo Ekiti, Iworoko Ekiti, Igbemo Ekiti, Iropora Ekiti, Afao Ekiti, Esure Ekiti, Eyio Ekiti and Araromi Obo Ekiti). Himself and other Fayose’s aides lost their local government to APC. This local government has produced prominent politicians and two governors while the current APC South West Vice chairman, His Excellency, Otunba Niyi Adebayo is from same local government.
PROF. MODUPE ADELABU
Prof. Modupe Adelabu is the current Board Chairman, National Board for Technical Education (NBTE). She was a Deputy Governor and Chairman SUBEB during Gov. Fayemi’s first term administration. Despite her influence and that of other prominent Ado Ekiti indigenes, APC still lost Ado to PDP.
HON MUYIWA ABEGUNDE
He was a former majority leader, Ekiti State House of Assembly. Emure Ekiti is one of the smallest Local Governments in the state and its very close to Ise/Orun Local Government area where Prince Adedayo Adeyeye, former Minister of state Works and former National Spokes Person of PDP, come from though he is now an APC chieftain. Despite all of these APC lost the local government to PDP.
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