[/b]AYODELE FAYOSE: His Pedestrian Politics And All-Time Winning Strategy

Political actors conform to cultural values because such values help them get what they want. Tianjian, 2003.

Introduction
Ekiti people of south-west, among other things are known for academic alacrity and intellectual prowess. The commitment of the people to education has resulted into Ekiti State being nick-named Fountain of Knowledge. The state is reputed to have produced the highest number of scholars in the sophisticated area of knowledge in Nigeria. It is also on record that Ekiti state has the highest number of scholar per square meter in Nigeria. As the fountainhead of Nigeria’s academic wizardry and as the home of Nigeria’s intellectual capital pool, it is therefore not surprising to see the state life and politics of Ekiti being centered on elitism and those expected to rule the state are required, by convention, to be intellectually inclined - philosopher king.
Yet, despite one –household one-professor legacy that Ekiti are known for, majority of the people are not educated in the four walls of the university but regardless of their former education status, an average Ekiti person is not lacking in intelligence. This claim to native intelligence and the certification of intellectualism through former education has polarized the people into ‘educated elites’ and the masses who laid claim to ‘native intelligence’. Over the years, recruitment into political office in Ekiti state has been seen as the prerogative of the educated elites while the masses are only useful during electioneering and voting. The used and dumped concept has created a perception of marginalization of the masses in the allocation of resources, particularly, political offices. It has equally created yearnings for a new form of political system where the aspirations of the pedestrians will not only be met; but where their cultural needs will be given priority by the political office holders and state officials.
The elites in Ekiti failed to see how culture can enhance their political survival and how it can be utilized in retaining power. Dr Ayodele Fayose saw this need and his personality; philosophy, cultural orientation and life style fit the description of the politician that the masses were silently looking for.
Characteristically, elites in Ekiti state have failed to pay the required attention to the cultural and psychological needs of the people. One person that has successfully created a paradigm shift in this grossly neglected area of political life is Dr. Peter Ayodele Fayose. It is an irreducible truth that there is no Politician in Nigeria that has earned the kind of grassroots support that Ayodele Fayose has received from Ekiti people. The man everyone likes to refer to as the ‘friend of the masses’ has achieved a lot in his political career to the extent that his political achievements have become reference point in the history of Nigeria politics. So many theories have been formulated in explaining his victory at the poll but none has delved into how he has utilized the cultural politics to win the mind of Ekiti People. Against all odds, he has successfully unseated two seating Governors, defeated them individually and collectively! In the recently concluded Governorship Election, Ekiti people unanimously welcomed back a political savior that liberated the people (the poor masses) from the iron cage of political slavery and elitist government. Today, there are only a few politicians who can claim to share the same podium of admiration within the Nigerian political system as Dr. Ayodele Fayose, the executive Governor of Ekiti State, Nigeria.
Ayo Fayose and the Politics of ‘Cultural Alignment’
Dr. Ayodele Fayose is the current executive Governor of Ekiti State. He is often described as the ‘friend of the masses’. More than any politician in Nigeria, he understands the power of ‘cultural alignment’ for political opportunity. He knows how to associate with the poor and pedestrian. Yemi Adaramodu and Hakeem Jamiu, the leading opposition in the state and the authors of Long Walk to a New Dawn (an account of the struggle and liberation of Ekiti People) attest to this observation: “Fayose is a smart politician who would always align with the people (Adaramodu and Jamiu, p61, 2011). Over the years, the politics and administration of elite government in Ekiti State has struggled to understand culture and failed to engage with it effectively. As a result, the relationship between the pedestrians and the elite has become dysfunctional. The adoption of constitutional democracy has led into the bifurcation of politics into ‘elitism’ and ‘pedestrianism’. And with this polarization, the elite, as a result of their education and western styles has dominated the political scene in Ekiti. Pedestrians seem to be edged out of the political system even when they constitute the larger percentage of decision makers in terms of ballot box power. But usually, their power ends after the declaration of winners in each election. And people with traditional political orientations tend to be less educated, older, living in villages and towns and employed in blue collar jobs. The view and character of Ayodele Fayose align with these groups of people, hence, the synergy in their political aspirations. The relationship between him and his followers has been transformed from that of a politician and supporters relationship into ‘friendship’. He has introduced the concept of friendship into politics.

One of his fans declared, ‘Ayo Fayose is not just our governor, he is our friend’. Fayose combines cultural orientation with modern political system. This complex configuration exhibited by this political guru has made him become ‘a professor of cultural politics”. And because he aligns himself with the cultural orientation of his people, victory in any election seems to[color=#990000][/color] be the easiest thing for him because the political man, unlike economic man, is not a rational thinker: the political brain dances to emotion and not reason. In Ekiti State today, voting follows emotional affinity rather than economic calculation. As rightly argued by Tianjian (2003), political actors conform to cultural values because such values help them get what they want.
His Pedestrian Politics
The government of the elite by the elite and for the elite (“Elitetocracy”) has practically made it impossible for some self-centered leaders to appreciate the need to cater for the less privilege members of the society, particularly, at the cultural level. This Elite’s ineptitude towards cultural values has created a vacuum in meeting the psychological needs of the culturally inclined people of Ekiti State. Ayodele Fayose came with the idea of pedestrian politics - the government of the common man, by the common man, and for the common man. And given his humble background, experience with poverty and pedestrianism, his political ideology and action consistently resonates and persistently aligns with common man’s aspiration. Fayose came into the political scene with a strong passion for the poor and the needy. His campaigns, actions and resources are always channeled towards meeting the pain and silent agony of the poor masses. His commitment to get the pedestrians-the unwanted, the uncared for, the forgotten, the deprived, the unfortunate, the poor and destitute out from the iron cage of impecuniosities and impoverishment earned him a title that can only be used to describe few Politian in Nigeria---ORE MEKUNNU (Friend of the masses)
His idea of grassroots politics goes beyond rhetoric of expression or occasional association with the poor; he consistently finds solace in the midst of pedestrians and constantly lives his daily life amongst them. His body language, gesture, dressing code, consumption pattern, life style and totality of his ways of life resonate with the cultural script of his people. Indeed, only a pedestrian can truly understand and appreciate the dynamism of poverty.
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He openly shares their pains. He is emotionally and psychologically connected to their needs, because he had experienced the scorching effect of poverty and the dehumanizing condition of poverty striking life as a hustler – a commercial bus driver. He understands where and how the shoe of poverty pinches. His policy, action and programme are pro-poor, while meeting the needs and yearnings of the poor man remains his priority. This explains why Ayodele Fayose has constantly occupied a colossal space in the hearts of the electorates and won their admonitions.
Mutual exchange of trust
One constant denominator in political relation in Nigeria is mutual distrust between elected officials and the electorates. Trust is the most expensive thing in politics. But despite this, Fayose has gained a considerable amount of trusts from Ekiti people .His landmark victory in the governorship election defies all logical and scientific explanation. A lot of arm chair theorists and sociologists without sociological inclinations have attributed Fayose’s victory in last poll to the exchange of bags of rice for the peoples’ vote or to what has come to be known as “Stomach Infrastructure” in political parlance. This postulation raises several empirical questions that called for proper examination. The distribution of foods and other gifts before election has, regrettably, becomes a common attribute of ALL POLITICAL PARTIES in Nigeria. The Ekiti people that I know cannot sell their future for a bag of rice. Adeshina Adetola in his well-researched book: “Ekiti Kete” painstakingly argued that “Ekiti people are hard-working people, who are not carried away by material obsession”. Ekiti people did not just vote for Fayose because a bag of rice was given to them, they voted for him because of mutual exchange of trusts between them and the man they love to call their friend. Apparently, the only logical explanation behind fayose’s consistent victory at the poll is an undeniable mutual trust that exists between a larger percentage of Ekiti people and Ayo Fayose. He has, over the years, been able to establish an unbroken political affinity with electorates. He knows how to connect with pedestrians.
In exchanging their votes for his political career advancement, Ekiti people are fully aware that a vote for Fayose is a vote for active pedestrian political participation (PPP). It is a vote for immediate gratification of diverse needs of the ordinary man in the street. Most importantly, it is a vote that will truly make them experience the true meaning of democracy.
Emotional Connection to Pedestrians
Ayodele Fayose has a magical power that constantly guarantees victory in the electioneering process. This magical power is neither rooted in Indian spiritual prowess as claimed by some people nor derived from occultism. His magical power that constantly brought a logical explanation to its kneel lies in his ability to connect emotionally to the needs and aspirations of electorates. He knows how to play the cultural script. He understands perfectly how to establish interaction rituals that consequently increased positive emotional energy. Fayose understands perfectly how to associate with the gathering of pedestrian in proximate space. He understands the importance of stereotyped greeting rituals that raise the level of transient emotions that in turn, increase the shared mood and focus of attention. He has mastered rhythmic synchronization of talk and bodies that increase collective effervesce, group solidarity and emotional bond to his political aspiration. In short, Fayose knows more than any politician in Nigeria, the cultural/political needs of his people and has over the years developed a political approach that resonates with their cultural expectations. It is easy for some people, particularly, the elites to conclude that the majority of Ekiti people are voting for Fayose as a result of ‘stomach infrastructure’ but the main reason why he has won in the past and why he may continue to win is the power of cultural alignment. Economic needs and political alignment are flexible but it is difficult to break a relationship that is built on trust, cultural affinity and friendship.


Oluwagbohunmi Aduralere is a sociologist, social commentator and scholar.
gbohunmijoseph@yahoo.com

Hope ur pay package has been agreed upon!