ONE of Nigeria’s most reform-minded and articulate governors has been ousted in an election in Ekiti, a south-western state, by a populist who was once impeached following charges, albeit unproven, of embezzling public money. The vote was deemed generally free and fair. The result highlights public resistance to political reform.

The incumbent governor, Kayode Fayemi, a member of the All Progressives Congress, Nigeria’s main opposition, was trounced by Ayo Fayose (pictured) of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the party that rules Nigeria at the federal level and is backed by the president, Goodluck Jonathan. It was a big win for the government, which hitherto controlled none of Nigeria’s six south-western states and has been struggling with internal divisions; several PDP governors have defected to the opposition. By gaining a gubernatorial foothold in Ekiti the PDP’s chance of victory in next year’s presidential election looks brighter.

In dismissing a forward-thinker, the voters sent out a loud message. After coming to power in 2010, Mr Fayemi laid new roads, improved the university system, presented a plan to get more young people into jobs, created a social-security scheme for the elderly, and cut corrupt wage payments to government workers. But such reforms upset people with a vested interest in the old political system. Unqualified teachers who have been told to take tests as part of Mr Fayemi’s education reforms probably voted against him. So did civil servants upset by his more meritocratic hiring practices. Such people plainly prefer the old “politics of the belly”, which keeps them comfortably on the state payroll and hands out cash in return for their votes. “We felt we had the people on our side, but the people themselves made this decision,” an aide to Mr Fayemi mournfully admits. “It is worrisome just how much enlightenment the electorate needs.”

Indeed, the election was a clash between appeals to good governance on the one hand and the lure of old-school clientelism and populism on the other. Despite Ekiti having a relatively well-educated electorate, the old ways prevailed. This does not bode well for political reform across the country.


http://www.economist.com/blogs/baobab/2014/06/politics-nigeria

From:guest-slsnssl

What is the old order? the simple truth is that Fayemi isn't popular with the people of Ekiti. Oshiomole of Edo state implemented same policies and won his 2nd term. Mimiko is a definition of a drastic change and he won his 2nd term. Fayemi couldn't have won a free and fair primary election in APC. Fayose wouldn't have defeated Opeyemi Bamidele of the LP with that wide margin if he was APCs candidate. What does this writer even mean by appeals to good governance?
saying the article is total bullshit and lies would be an over-generalisation else I would have called it so. Calling it a half-truth would be more appropriate. The vague notion of "old order" used by the writer to paint the electorates of Ekiti and the PDP is an unholy sweep. The serious questions raised and spurious conclusions reached by this writer smacks more of delusion than reason. The writers conclusion which reads; "Indeed, the election was a clash between appeals to good governance on the one hand and the lure of old-school clientelism and populism on the other. Despite Ekiti having a relatively well-educated electorate, the old ways prevailed. This does not bode well for political reform across the country." simply indicates that he is a person of interest carrying the burden of political biases. The writer by saying "In dismissing a forward-thinker, the voters sent out a loud message" pinpoints him as a rabble-rouser delving into the arena by an unwelcomed meddlesomeness. Is fayose a backward thinker? Is there any governor in Nigeria that does not lay new roads? Did Ibori and Alamieseigha not lay new roads when they were governors? Did Fayose not lay new roads when he was governor between 2003 and 2007? Or were there no roads at all in Ekiti b4 Fayemi became governor? Or The PDP governors who lost out to the defunct ACN in the southwest never laid a new road? This article is an insult to the free-will of the Ekiti-Kete electorates. The writer is a biased interloper whose half-truths would have been better left unsaid than said with coated lies and a deliberate sweeping insult directed at a peoples freewill in a democratic election. Too bad.

From:guest-slsnwlo

I've read a few of the comments in the thread and can't but agree that as usual, Western style news reporting defines a successful "election" as one in which the candidate they prefer wins. Any other outcome is a misnomer.
It is condescending, patronising and insulting to infer that merely because the people of Ekiti did not re-elect Fayemi, they are backward, poor and hungry and only worthy of "criminal" leaders. As someone rightly observed, in Lagos there is a Governor who has won two terms and the 2nd was secured in the face of opposition from his own political Godfather. He won that election because the people recognised reform and wanted him back.
This article is fundamentally flawed and lacks context, as there is no reference to the dynamics of the APC, the Ekiti situation and the people's refusal to be shepherded mindlessley by Bola Tinubu.
Get your facts right and publish news that we can read and classify as credible and objective.

From:guest-lssnlla

This elitist perspective is antithetical to democratic principle. What happened in Ekiti State is how democracy suppose to work. The people voted and gave mandate to whom they like in free and fair election.
Economist Magazine in its Ivory tower elitism is implying that the people made a mistake and are not competent enough to elect the 'right' leader. In democracy free people freely elect their leaders. We called it freedom and Ekiti people are free people.
Economist loaded agenda analysis is patronizing and condescending, unbecoming of supposedly a free and fair media.

Economist = BS
Fayemi was a bad governor. Period!

PS: Fayemi is very corrupt.

Ekiti voted wisely

Very funny that you PDP e-dogs are churning out your ediocy on the thread.

The article was spot on. Fayemi's reform led to him stepping on too many toes ranging from teachers, to students, local govt workers, judiciary workers, unemployed/unemployable youths. In the last 3 years + ,I have observed all the 6 SW governors based on their quality of governance, and i can say Fayemi is the best administrator Of the six SW governors , but he was also the worst politician.

Fayemi's reform challenged the status quo too much that unsettled a lot, and gave Fayose a rabble rouser a blank political cheque, he simply harnessed the disgruntled elements and he won all across. Fayemi fought too many wars at the same time,when he should have left some till his second term, i am forced to wonder hw well he utilised his Phd in war studies.

PDP typically knows how to conserve the status quo, the business as usual which an average nigerian wants while nursing hope that the change will come maybe by a mystic force. Fayose will now eat booli and roasted corn on the street with them, he will ride okada on the streets, he will play football with them on the street, eventhough he will retire to his gubernatorial palace at the end of the day and a typical stocholm syndrome ravaged nigerian will be so happy, "suffering and smiling". off course he will fix a few roads which might be shoddy quality, install boreholes rather than build water plants and lay water pipeline to homes, it will be mediocre fix galore, he will not unruffle civil servants by plugging corruption loopholes, in order to build more political capital, he will dole out physical cash from the peoples treasury to a few , and thus, he will be praised to high heavens about how he is a lover of the common man. Now the PDP at the centre who shamefully , purposely and shockingly refuse to execute any capital projects in ekiti state will try to kickstart FG projects.

Well there is one thing you cant fault Fayemi for, his sincerity for the good of his people with an holistic approach.

emiye: The article was spot on. Fayemi's reform led to him stepping on too many toes ranging from teachers, to students, local govt workers, judiciary workers, unemployed/unemployable youths. In the last 3 years + ,I have observed all the 6 SW governors based on their quality of governance, and i can say Fayemi is the best administrator Of the six SW governors , but he was also the worst politician.

Fayemi's reform challenged the status quo too much that unsettled a lot, and gave Fayose a rabble rouser a blank political cheque, he simply harnessed the disgruntled elements and he won all across. Fayemi fought too many wars at the same time,when he should have left some till his second term, i am forced to wonder hw well he utilised his Phd in war studies.

PDP typically knows how to conserve the status quo, the business as usual which an average nigerian wants while nursing hope that the change will come maybe by a mystic force. Fayose will now eat booli and roasted corn on the street with them, he will ride okada on the streets, he will play football with them on the street, eventhough he will retire to his gubernatorial palace at the end of the day and a typical stocholm syndrome ravaged nigerian will be so happy, "suffering and smiling". off course he will fix a few roads which might be shoddy quality, install boreholes rather than build water plants and lay water pipeline to homes, it will be mediocre fix galore, he will not unruffle civil servants by plugging corruption loopholes, in order to build more political capital, he will dole out physical cash from the peoples treasury to a few , and thus, he will be praised to high heavens about how he is a lover of the common man. Now the PDP at the centre who shamefully , purposely and shockingly refuse to execute any capital projects in ekiti state will try to kickstart FG projects.

Well there is one thing you cant fault Fayemi for, his sincerity for the good of his people with an holistic approach.

If Fayemi is reforming and teachers,students and workers are complaining, that means the reform has a zero impact on the people he is governing. Using Fayemi and Andre Villa Boas as a case study, both were managers of men trying to change things overnight and the end of the day they lost out. Change is a gradual process. Fqyemi should have introduced his reform one after the other, that's what a good manager does. In the case of AVB he came to Chelsea introduced his own reform by sidling all the senior players and the end of the day they ganged up against him. In essence your reform should be people oriented.

Chamack: If Fayemi is reforming and teachers,students and workers are complaining, that means the reform has a zero impact on the people he is governing. Using Fayemi and Andre Villa Boas as a case study, both were managers of men trying to change things overnight and the end of the day they lost out. Change is a gradual process. Fqyemi should have introduced his reform one after the other, that's what a good manager does. In the case of AVB he came to Chelsea introduced his own reform by sidling all the senior players and the end of the day they ganged up against him. In essence your reform should be people oriented.

And what made you feel at the instance of a reform, everyone will start smiling ? Teachers who barely come to class to teach students or teachers who can not achieve minimum credit in wassce for subjects they teach students CAN NOT smile at a governor who calls for teachers assessment test in a bid to understand the rootcause ofpersistent failure of students in external exams even after school infrastructure upgrade Reforms come with initial pain for a greater gain. I agree with you that the reform should have been a gradual process, and i alluded to that fact in my write up,especially in a very conservative state like Ekiti state.

The victory of Fayose was a protest vote against the governor, it was a victory for status quo.

emiye: And what made you feel at the instance of a reform, everyone will start smiling ? Teachers who barely come to class to teach students or teachers who can not achieve minimum credit in wassce for subjects they teach students CAN NOT smile at a governor who calls for an assessment test in a bid to understand the rootcause ofpersistent failure of students in external exams even after school infrastructure upgrade Reforms come with initial pain for a greater gain. I agree with you that the reform should have been a gradual process, and i alluded to that fact in my write up,especially in a very conservative state like Ekiti state.

The victory of Fayose was a protest vote against the governor, it was a victory for status quo.

I appreciate your write up at the end. shalom

Cry me a river, INCONSEQUENTIAL 'economist' spewing thrash on his blog. Fayemi lost like a loser he is, get used to the program. Next!!