THE UBIQUITOUS GUBERNATORIAL SUCCESSION PLAN AND EKITI 2022
~Caution And Selflessness
As Antidotes

By: Oluwatosin Fredrick Ogunkuade (Jasper)

Many things are happening so rapidly and many more will occur in the build up to the Ekiti State gubernatorial shadow election of January, 2022 but one thing that's sacrosanct is the quest for continuity which remains the only panacea for sustained development in the Land of Honour.

Since the return of Democracy in 1999 till today, Ekiti state leadership have been alternated between the Progressives and Conservatives, unfortunately, same level of consistency can't be said to have occurred to the State's development in terms of infrastructure, industrialization, employment, wealth creation, education, tourism and economy as manifested in policy somersaults and abandoned projects from various past administrations

Ikogosi Warm Spring Resort Centre, Social Welfare for Elders, Peace Corps, Youth in Commercial Agriculture, Ire Brick, Computer per Student Desk, Operation Renovate All Schools and many more viable projects and initiatives of the first administration of Dr. John Kayode Fayemi (JKF) have suffered same fate in time past for lack of continuity.

The beauty of governance is to have successors who perpetuate the policies and programmes of predecessors, one that will not watch the labour of past leader and legacies go into extinction by growing the system faster and consistently building on the solid foundation of those who have gone ahead.

The best the All Progressives Congress (APC) Party can do to ensure continuity is to foster unity among the stakeholders and present to Ekiti populace a credible candidate that is devoid of malice and baggage, a unified rallying factor that will dwell on his wealth of experience in collaboration with notable indigenes of the state to continue the good works of JKF and at the same time, giving breath of fresh air into the system.

There is need to step up the factors driving Ekiti economy among which are: Youth entrepreneurship development and sustainable empowerment. Also, germane is wealth creation and industrialization which will enhance the growth of our Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) with fewer burdens on the people. We cannot continue to rely on the Federal Allocation to bring forth a spontaneous development.

The processes leading to the Ekiti 2018 APC Gubernatorial primary election, the hard lessons from the results and the aftermath speaks volume of why prospective aspirants for the primary election slated for January 2022 would rather not deploy time, energy and resources to mobilizing executives/delegates from ward to ward from now. With 33 aspirants who jostled to be candidate of APC in 2018 and a total number of 2,313 delegates accredited across the 16LGA and 177wards in the state; Dr. Kayode Fayemi scored the highest number of votes 941, Segun Oni 481, Kayode Ojo 281, Bamisile Femi 179, Wole Oluyede 121, Gbenga Aluko 86, Sesan Fatoba 45, Congressman Bimbo Daramola 28, Bamidele Faparusi 23, Victor Kolade 16, Kola Alabi 14 Babafemi Ojudu 10 (withdrew a day before the election), Micheal Opeyemi Bamidele and Dipo Ogunkoyo 8 votes each, Yaya Kolade 4, Ayo Arise, Muyiwa Olumilua, Olumilua Coker and Ajayi Olatunji has 2 votes each, Elizabeth Taiye and Ajayi Adebowale has 1vote each, Adekunle Patrick and Biodun Amudipe recorded no vote among others.

However, this time the stakeholders across boards must ensure they pull their arsenals together, narrow down the number of contestants to make the process more competitive and produce the choice for the continuity that will be acceptable to Ekiti populace. The voice of the southern agenda can only be heard if they can come together to present a consensus aspirant but at the same time, competence and the vision ahead will take the day because from the North to the Central and South, Ekiti remain as one.

The constitution of the party, APC is clear-cut. The governor is the leader of the party in the state and it is only a half-witted leader that will not care about who succeeds him. It has become a standard among outgoing governors to handpick or at the minimum, have a controlling influence on who succeeds them because of the battle for political relevance but in so doing, Dr. Kayode Fayemi wisest approach will be to close his eyes and go for the best candidate for posterity’s sake.

There are thousands, if not millions, of people in Ekiti State, Nigeria and all over the world that are loyal to Dr. Kayode Fayemi and so, loyalty is a norm that shouldn't take the place of competence in the race ahead. History is replete with examples as cases of predecessors against their successors in acrimonious relationship and bitter rivalry within the same cabinet abound. Some have gotten so bad that the visit of the former to the state has degenerated into a breakdown of law and order with fingers pointing to the later as the culprit.

Many Governors frustrate ambitions of many close associates when choosing who to succeeds them. What became of those choices are fall out with their benefactors few months after taking over. Case studies are those of Aregbesola vs Oyetola his Chief of Staff (Osun), Oshiomole vs Obaseki (Edo), Akpabio vs Udom (Akwa Ibom), Rufai vs Shinkafi vs Abdullahi Yari (Zamfara), Kwankwaso vs Ganduje his Deputy Governor (Kano), Ali-Modu Sheriff vs Kashim Shettima (Borno), Liyel Imoke and Prof Ayade in Cross River State and the list seems endless. If you look carefully around you, your best friend may turn to be your worst enemy.

The type of system that should be embraced and adopted by Ekiti leaders at all levels is to consider the continuation of programmes and projects that are acceptable, not rebellion egocentric desire that will bring disagreement and retrogression. Ekiti needs a Governor that is head and shoulder above the previous Governors in terms of intellect, capacity, skills, creativity, in terms of wealth creation and indefatigability. Let someone who has what it takes to take over from Dr. John Kayode Fayemi come forward and present their credentials and let the people decide. This, in my thoughts, could be the much-needed panacea for an exchange of baton at Oke Ayoba and a smooth transition in the body polity of Ekiti State.


Oluwatosin Fredrick Ogunkuade (Jasper)
Member, APC
Writes From:
Ward 06, Ikogosi Ekiti
Ekiti West LGA
jaspernansvp@gmail.com

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