If Not Fayemi, Who?

If you are the type who does not like politics, because of its intrigues and high wire plots, then, some of the events of recent days especially the turn of events in the lead up to the governorship election slated for July 14 in Ekiti State could be quite off-putting.

It is, however, true that every human creature is a potential political animal. What it means, therefore, is that regardless of your misgivings about politics, there is a natural demand of you to keep tab with events, because like it or not, politics is the fulcrum upon which everything else stands.

In other words, whether or not you are actively involved in the business of politics, you must strive to embrace informed positions, made possible by substance, facts and accurate figures and not the often swaying flashes and pizzas, which now appears the norm.

Minister of Mines and Steel Development and former governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi is suddenly a common enemy of “all” in the lead up to the election, curiously in his own party. The outcome of last week’s botched primaries provided some insight into the needless but deep-seated hate politics that has so far typified the turf of Ekiti.

With former allies suddenly becoming foes over sheer ambition, dwelling desperately on the pull him down option, the very instructive takeaway from all of this as Ekiti APC chooses its flag-bearer tomorrow is that all of this bitter bickering is essentially about self and clearly not in collective interest.

This writer has tried in the last few weeks even before the botched primaries to sample views, deliberately from the opponents of Dr. Fayemi on why the hate has been this inherently pervasive and their “tales by moon light” has been nothing but utter baloney.

No one could say precisely what he has done to deserve the bashing. “Ekiti people don’t like him”. Is that it, for real? Sadly, they often acknowledge his capacity to get the work done, sound record of good governance and a towering image that could help push up the palpably primitive disposition of the people, at least, from the “shithole status” someone had taken it in the last few years.

From my gleanings, Fayemi is basically a victim of terrible and heavily slanted perception. Some merely conceive the resentment, throws it in the mix and it becomes the badge of conviction that the shallow-minded or novice wears everywhere as their position, clearly without checking. That, of course, is not the prodding of education in the life of anyone. Education makes it easy for people to be governed and difficult to be taken for a ride. This is not the case here.

Ask Fayemi what he did in his first coming to justify another shot at the governorship, and you would be unable to exhaust the line-up of achievements the whole day. This is talking serious governance and not some baby governor in adult body, who glibly boasts about the booming agbojedi sector, iyan kolobe industry or even just frying garri with women.

A man, who redefined education; introduced social security for a class of people; made empowerment the thrust of his administration; took the youth off the reach of mischief makers; concentrated on affordable healthcare system for all as well as planned a future that was to become the envy of others, is suddenly the problem that some people see? How unfortunate! The Yoruba capture it well when they say “oloore ilu, ni’ka ilu”, meaning the one who thinks good of the people is often their enemy.

In one of his final speeches as he prepared to leave office, former US President Barack Obama at a commencement ceremony spoke painfully about the increasing age of “anti-intellectualism”.

He reckoned, when people are sick, they choose to see the best of doctors; when they want to fly, they ask for the best pilot; when they want to build, they send for the best engineers but when it comes to politics, they don’t want the man who can do it but would rather “a ponmo cutting politician” and yet they seek a better life style. How so?

Well, by evening tomorrow, the Ekiti APC primary would have been one distraction put behind everyone. But, the truth is that we will always remain the products of our many choices, informed or not.

A word of advice though: stop de-marketing Fayemi; come to a debate table and tell us his failings (if there are any) and why he does not deserve to come back; tell us why those you crave are better choices; support a rather democratic process to register your displeasure through vote; convince the delegates otherwise if you know your onions; stop exposing your inanity and politics of bile; vote intellectual engagement and strive to trump with better argument and reasoning; stop sounding like a bitter simpleton and let everyone have their peace.

But, really, if not Fayemi, is it you? Oniyeye…joker!