With just a week to the governorship election in Ekiti State, Nigeria’s two major political parties, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), are locked in an epic battle for the soul of the state, deploying their most sophisticated strategies.

Although 35 political parties are fielding candidates to vie for the coveted seat which would be vacated by the incumbent, Ayodele Fayose, the battle line appears to be drawn between candidates of the two major political parties, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

A former governor of the State Kayode Fayemi, who recently resigned as Minister of Solid Minerals would be locking horns with the ‘anointed’ candidate of the incumbent governor and his deputy, Professor Kolapo Olusola, in what has been described as the mother of all political battles ahead of the 2019 general elections.

Indeed, to many political watchers, the July 14 governorship election in Ekiti State derives its importance for several reasons. Apart from the fact that winning the state would serve as a pointer to what happens in the 2019 general elections in the South-West, it would also serve as a determining factor of the acceptability of the two major political parties, especially in the face of growing disillusionment amongst Nigerians.

While the PDP which was ousted after holding onto political power for sixteen years would be experimenting the possibility of staging a comeback in 2019, the APC which rode to power in 2015 on the mantra of ‘change’ would determine through the outcome of the Ekiti election whether it is still gaining political grounds, especially in the South-West zone where it had swept all states with the exception of Ekiti. Being the only state in the South-West under its control, the PDP believes completely losing the South-West to the APC, would affect its chances of staging a comeback to the Presidency in 2019.

It is against this background that both political parties and their candidates have been deploying all political arsenals at their disposal to ensure victory at next Saturday’s governorship polls in Ekiti. Ahead of the D-day, both parties and their candidates have been criss-crossing the length and breadth of state with campaign messages in order to woo the electorate to their sides. There have also been allegations and counter allegations of plots to rig the elections on both sides.

The candidate of the APC Fayemi, is said to be counting on his achievements during his first term between 2010 and 2014, promising to do more if elected on Saturday.

Fayemi has been selling his eight-point agenda to redirect the state to the path of growth and development to all the 133 communities across the state, promising to provide visionary leadership.

After concluding his campaign tour of LGS, Fayemi turned his attention to professional bodies such as teachers, civil servants, local government workers, artisans, NULGE members, among other groups. He allayed fears that he plans to sack workers, especially teachers, saying that as a worker-friendly leader, he will never pursue policies that will cost Ekiti people their livelihoods.

Promising to resuscitate Youth Agricultural Scheme (YCAD), Traffic Management Service, Fire Service, ambulance service and ensure regular payment of salary, Fayemi recalled that he raised salary three times in four years to ensure welfare of workers and keep peace and security in the state.

At another session with the state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) led by Ade Adesanmi, Fayemi reminded workers that he increased their salary three times in four years and paid relativity package in addition to the 25 per cent for rural posting and core subjects allowances, describing himself as the first governor to pay special salary to health workers and increased pensioners’ benefits, including introducing biometric salary payment that eased burden of salary payment system.

Fayemi boasted that he said he never sacked a single worker but engaged doctors, teachers, civil servants and moved teachers in local government to where they could do better professionally to advance their careers.

He also said he would attract federal support for adequate funding of development projects, citing anchor brower scheme and school feeding programme in which 15 states benefitted, including PDP states, regretting that Ekiti State did not benefit because of bad politics the governor was playing.

On his part, Prof Kolapo Olusola, the standard bearer of the PDP, though new in the political terrain, is said to be enjoying the popularity of his principal and godfather, Governor Fayose.

Olusola, who unveiled his manifesto, tagged ‘Shield’ at a press conference about two weeks ago, said he would touch on all areas of human endeavors such as infrastructure, economy, education, agriculture development among others.

He promised to continue with the ‘stomach infrastructure’ programme of his principal but added: “It will go beyond mere giving out of rice or clothing material” but include creating jobs for teeming youths and empowering them, especially those with disabilities.

“As current deputy governor, I am part of this administration and have been part of its policy formulation. With the continuity agenda I will improve on what my principal has done. The goal is to secure our environment and protect our people. Security is very essential in any society as it guarantees enabling environment for smooth development”, he said.

On the state’s workforce, he said he would expose them to ICT, to ensure effectiveness in their jobs, both academically and professionally, adding: “Our society has facets of people, we will put in place measures to cater for the under privileged, this is why stomach infrastructure will still be part of my agenda and it goes beyond giving foodstuffs, but includes programmes to empower the less privileged.”

On infrastructural and industrial development, he said his government would do more road construction, dualize other roads not yet dualized in the local government areas and do more of inter- township roads and more importantly focus on rural roads to ensure proper access by road through massive rural road construction intra and inter township roads.

Even as they carry out their campaigns the parties have been accusing each other of collaborating with the electoral umpire to rig the electoral process.

The two parties had at different times accused each other of collection of workers’ voter cards with a view to pre-loading card readers to be used for the election. Both had accused some Independent National Electroal Commission (INEC) officials allegedly collaborating to rig the poll.

But INEC had denied the allegations repeatedly. Recently, a senior official of the commission, Mrs. Amina Zakari, challenged their accusers to prove their allegations that any official of the commission had been hired to manipulate the process.

Some residents of the state have however, expressed worries over what they described as “campaigns of hatred, disunity and songs of war” between the two parties.

A chieftain of the PDP, Hon. Opeyemi Falegan, observed that if the trend was not checked, it could pose great danger to the success of the poll.

He advised that all the participating political parties in the election should make their campaigns issue-based in the interest of the people of the state.

On Tuesday last week the APC governorship candidate met President Muhammadu Buhari ahead of Ekiti governorship election.

Although details of the meeting were not immediately availed to newsmen, Daily Trust on Sunday learnt that it might not be unconnected with the Ekiti polls, especially the grand finale rally expected to hold next Tuesday in Ado Ekiti. President Buhari is expected at the rally.

Earlier on July 5, the PDP and its supporters held its mega rally in Ado Ekiti ahead of the July 14 governorship election. At the rally were Governor Fayose and all members of the party’s National Working Committee and Board of Trustees, led by the National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus.

Others party stalwarts who graced the rally include serving state governors, former state governors, Presidential aspirants on PDP platform including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Sule Lamido, Attahiru Bafarawa, Ahmed Makarfi and Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo.

Fayose berated the Federal Government for allegedly shutting down Akure Airport, describing the act as shameful and a political witchhunt. He cautioned the people against voting for the APC, as according to him, doing so would only bring misery.

He said, “Our leaders have spoken, I want to say to you, if you vote for the APC, God forbid, you are voting for Boko Haram and herdsmen attacks. In the PDP we believe in human beings and not cows.”

Accusing INEC of plotting to rig the election in favour of the APC, Fayose said: “INEC we know your plans, you want to rig for the APC, we will follow you bumper to bumper, we know your agenda, that you want to preload smart cards for the APC, Ekiti is a no go area.”

The PDP national chairman in his address said: “APC is broken, I am here with National Working Committee of the PDP to appreciate you for standing for PDP, as you can see Fayose has worked for Ekiti and the evidence are all over, in the infrastructure development, education and economic advancement.”

“All PDP states are witnessing great developments, this is not so in APC states. PDP is winning and moving forward to rescue our country from economic, and security collapse and all inhuman treatment meted out by the APC. You can see killings in all states, Zamfara, Plateau, and other states,” he said.

Fayose woos PDP governors

As the battle for the soul of Ekiti gets hotter, incumbent governor, Fayose who is chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum is said to have contacted his colleagues in the Forum and other stakeholders to support the candidature of his deputy.


https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/apc-pdp-in-fight-to-finish-over-ekiti-259884.html

APC are on course to rig election

None of them deserve that seat . wish ekiti people can vote another party .

Godspeed Eleka...
Empathy and humility is written all over you, just as it were with GEJ/Yar-adua.

Ekiti has been presented with a rare gem.

ekiti deserves better than these two...but pomo will not allow.

Eleka is a good material