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Ask anyone that is well informed about Nigerian politics that who is presently the most controversial governor in Nigeria, and he will certainly tell you, ‘It is Gov. Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State’. Without doubt, Governor Fayose, through his recent utterances and actions, has earned himself the most popular and controversial Nigerian State Governor of the moment.
Governor Ayodele Fayose was re-elected as the Governor of Ekiti State on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on June 21, 2014, and was sworn into office on October 16, 2014. Prior to this, it would be recalled that he had been a Governor of the same state from May 29, 2003 to October 16, 2006 when he was impeached.
One of the recent activities that have made Gov. Fayose popular and controversial was his unrelenting attacks on the person of General Muhammad Buhari, the newly President-elect of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who has just been elected under the platform of All Progressive Congress (APC). While some people, especially his lovers, see nothing new or abnormal in the firm decision of Gov. Fayose in attacking Buhari, some believe Gov. Fayose was too harsh. To the former, it is not new in Nigerian Politics for politicians to attack one another for the purpose of gaining political advantages over one another. So to these people, Gov. Fayose should even be commended for playing his political card very well.
However, the latter believe that Gov. Fayose is becoming too aggressive and unreasonable in the manner he plays his politics. The most popular and widely criticized of those attacks on Gen. Buhari was an advertisement he (Gov. Fayose) placed in the Punch newspaper of January 19, 2015 and Daily Sun of the same date. In that advertisement, Gov. Fayose was indirectly asking Nigerians not to waste their votes by voting General Muhammad Buhari who, according to Gov. Fayose, is too old to govern the country. Gov. Fayose had, in that advertisement, indirectly predicted the death of General Muhammad Buhari in office if eventually elected. So these people see everything wrong in that advertisement.
Critical and objective observation of the roles of Gov. Fayose in 2015 general elections may prompt many to wonder whether or not Gov. Fayose has done something that other politicians have not done before. Aside that widely criticized advertisement sponsored by Gov. Fayose, one may find it quite difficult differentiating Gov. Fayose from other politicians. It has always been the practice of Nigerian politicians to attack one another during election period. So in this regards, Gov. Fayose shouldn’t be an exception. All Nigerian politicians are ready to go to any length in satisfying their interest.
Another thing that has made Gov. Fayose popular and controversial is the ‘Stomach Infrastructure’ initiative which has been widely identified with him. When Fayose was campaigning for the Ekiti State Governorship race, he had distributed bags of rice and other food items to the people of Ekiti, and he was largely criticized, especially by the opposition parties, for trying to use food items to sway voters to his side. However, this would not deter Fayose from doing so, as he even came up publicly to state that there will be a special assistant to him on ‘Stomach Infrastructure’. On this note as well, it is important to state that Gov. Fayose was not the only politician who distributed food items to the people during and even after electioneering. Akinwunmi Ambode of the All Progressive Congress also did.
Another activity that has added spice to the controversy surrounding Gov. Fayose is the latest impeachment move against his person by members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly. It has taken another dimension, as the APC factional speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly has purportedly served him a notice. It would be recalled that reports had surfaced in 2014, not long after Gov. Fayose was inaugurated, that seven members of the Peoples Democratic Party had met at the State Assembly Complex, without the speaker and deputy speaker, to carry out the illegal impeachment of the Speaker of the House. Governor Fayose had, however, reportedly debunked the story that the Speaker was not impeached. And now the impeachment saga of Gov. Fayose has resurfaced.
One could only reasonably conclude that what is presently unfolding in Ekiti State has a political undertone. The APC wants Gov. Fayose impeached by all means and its members have started playing the card. Well, as Nigerian politics entails, it is normal. However, if I had the opportunity to speak to the leaders of the All Progressive Congress, I would advise that they leave Fayose alone to complete his tenure for some certain reasons.
One of the reasons is that All Progressive Congress (APC), through its Presidential flag-bearer who is now the President-elect, had promised all Nigerians during campaign period that its government will not melt out any vengeance on any of its opponents. Though the reasons for his impeachment might be genuine, some people will definitely conclude that the impeachment of Gov. Fayose, at this crucial time, is an attempt by APC to make him suffer for negative things he had said about General Muhammad Buhari during the period of campaign. So to them, it would seem the APC wants to start punishing Fayose by firstly relieving him of his position as the Governor of Ekiti State. This will then pave ways for the party to try him and then probably jail him. If this happened, many might believe that General Muhammad Buhari hardly forgives. And this might not earn our dear President-elect a good image that people like me always projects.
Another reason any patriotic Nigerian would want to appeal to the leaders of All Progressive Congress (APC) to leave Gov. Ayodele Fayose alone is to avoid unnecessary chaos in the state. As controversial as Gov. Fayose may seem, it is obvious to all and sundry that he is loved by the majority of the people of Ekiti State. This was why the Peoples Democratic Party had decided to present him as its party flag-bearer in the 2014 Governorship election in Ekiti State. The party believed he was generally accepted by his people, and that he was the only candidate that could give the party that governorship seat. And yes he did prove them right. He won the race, beating the then incumbent Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi of the All Progressive Congress. In the just concluded Presidential election, he has again proved to the world that he is a man of the people by winning the presidential election in the state for Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. The results of the Presidential election in all the Southwest states, except Ekiti, went in favour of General Muhammad Buhari. So this is a pointer that Gov. Fayose is truly loved by his people. So why would anybody want to impeach a state governor that is loved by his people. This may lead to unnecessary chaos in the state, and any reasonable government at Federal level, will want to prevent this. Since APC often claims that they are for the people, its members should do all they can to ensure that the will and interest of the people of Ekiti State are not denied
Adeyinka oyebayo is a lawyer from ijero
