Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose has anointed his deputy, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, as his successor. But, some chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have objected to it. They believe that former Minister of State for Works Prince Dayo Adeyeye will be a more better candidate. Assistant Editor GBADE OGUNWALE examines the struggle for succession in the opposition party.
It was Wednesday, January 24. A mammoth crowd roared in ecstatic frenzy, defying the sting of the scorching afternoon sun. Men, women, old and young had trooped to the streets in their numbers. The motorcade moved slowly through the main Ado-Ekiti-Ikere Road, setting the ancient town agog. Chants of “Adeyeye la fe” (We want Adeyeye) echoed. Decked in a white kaftan and an Awo cap to match, Prince Dayo Adeyeye popped out of the open roof of a black SUV, waving in all directions as he acknowledged cheers from the crowd of residents. A sea of heads had taken over the entire road, forming some kilometres of slow-moving human traffic behind the motorcade. The journey to Adeyeye’s declaration ground, located directly opposite his campaign office on Ikere Road, took some hours to accomplish. When the motorcade eventually arrived at the venue, the team of security agents who accompanied the motorcade and the ones at the venue had a hectic job navigating the aspirant through the crowd. It was difficult to persuade the army of singing and dancing supporters to give their man time and space to address them. It was a momentous event as Adeyeye declared his intention to contest the governorship election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Adeyeye, accompanied by his wife, momentarily, remained glued to the podium, speechless. Finding his voice, the aspirant’s chant of Pee- Dee-Pee…was greeted with a thunderous feedback from the crowd who responded with chants of power, power, power! Carefully choosing his words and moderating his language, Adeyeye reeled off what has turned out to be the many regrets of Ekiti indigenes who voted for Ayo Fayose in 2014. According to the Ise-Ekiti born-politician, voters simply bought a pig in the poke. Allegations are rife of the governor having his ten fingers wrapped around every contract, big or small, with terms and conditions of the contracts known only to him. Members of the state executive council and their counterparts in the Assembly are said to have been reduced to mere spectators where the lord of the manor holds court. Many party stalwarts in the Adeyeye camp narrated how Fayose betrayed a gentleman’s agreement he reached with Adeyeye in the run- up to the 2014 election. They recalled how former President Goodluck Jonathan mediated between the two politicians at the time to enable the party present a common candidate for the election. Apparently seeing Adeyeye as the more sober of the two, Jonathan was said to have prevailed on him to allow Fayose to contest the election. More so, the former President had reasoned that since Fayose constitutionally had only one term of four years to be governor, Adeyeye should let go. He agreed and Fayose got the ticket through a garrison-like primary that left other aspirants in the race holding the short end of the stick. The rest is history.
As compensation for his sacrifice, Jonathan rewarded Adeyeye with Minister of State (Works). Now that it is time for the governor to honour his gentleman’s agreement, the story has taken a twist. The governor has proclaimed his deputy, Prof Kolapo Olusola, as his would-be successor. Not even the intervention of Jonathan could sway the governor’s unilateral decision. Neither is he moved by the deluge of protests from other aspirants and stakeholders. Fayose has been erecting billboards in every available space in Ado-Ekiti and other towns. Some of the billboards have portraits of the governor, shaking hands with his deputy, with a bold inscription: “Ekiti people, meet your next governor”. Without mincing words, Fayose had, at a rally he organised for his deputy, said Adeyeye and other aspirants were free to leave the PDP, if they so wished.
Adeyeye said if given the chance, he would enthrone a culture of probity, transparency and accountability in the management of the state’s resources, adding that Ekiti indigenes would be relieved of what he described as the heavy yoke of servitude placed on them by Fayose. But, the hurdles in the way of his aspiration are daunting Fayose’s decision to field his deputy as candidate appears to be cast in granite. The governorship primary, will be a testy experience for Adeyeye. Judging by precedents, PDP governors may not be able to prevail on their Ekiti counterpart to play by the rules. Also, the newly constituted national leadership of the party does not seem to have the capacity to tame the governor. In the entire history of the PDP, the governors are laws unto themselves, with cult-like solidarity with one another, regardless of whether the cause is right or wrong. This was demonstrated during the conduct of the party’s December 9, national convention in which the governors ensured the emergence of their preferred candidates as officials of the party.
But, Adeyeye said he was not seeking any undue leverage from the governors or the party leadership. On what his next step would be in the event of the governor foisting his protege on the party, Adeyeye replied that every politician must have options when pushed to the wall. Vowing not to back down from the race, the aspirant said that it would serve the overall interest of the PDP, if governors and the party leadership tread the path of caution and restraint.
Sources close to Adeyeye, however, said the aspirant was not putting all his eggs in one basket, even as they confirmed that his loyalty and commitment to the PDP remained intact. The difficult task before the governors and the leadership of the party is how to strike a fair balance with contestants in the race. Under consideration is Adeyeye’s service to the PDP during the 14-month excruciating struggle with the Ali Modu Sheriff-led leadership against the party. Adeyeye and other members of the Ahmed Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee, were on the firing line. As spokesman for the Caretaker Committee, it became Adeyeye’s burden to contend with smear campaign mounted by the Sheriff camp. It took the July 12, 2017 judgment by the Supreme Court to cut Sheriff to size. He also played a prominent role in the conduct of the December 9 national convention of the party, where the new national officers emerged. Now, not a few stakeholders in the party believe that it is the turn of the party leadership and the governors to ensure that Adeyeye gets the appropriate compensation commensurate to what they considered his selfless and unblemished service to the party.
Fayose championed the choice of Sheriff as party chairman in the first place, despite stiff opposition from right thinking stakeholders and elders. What manner of reward does Adeyeye expect from the governors and the party leadership? Hear him: “I am not asking for favours. All I ask for is a free, fair and transparent primaries that can stand the integrity and credibility test. This can only happen by ensuring that the delegates list for the primaries is not in any way doctored or manipulated to serve the interest of any particular aspirant, including myself”. But will the party and its governors uphold the credibility of the selection process? Only time will tell.
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