Before the restoration of the mandate of Dr Kayode Fayemi as Ekiti State governor by the Court of Appeal, the competition for the senatorial slot in Ekiti Central District was stiff. As power shifted to the progressives in the Fountain of Knowledge, the contest became stiffer. The district is perceived as the stronghold of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), on which platform they hope to represent the five local government areas of the senatorial district in the National Assembly. There is the feeling that whoever emerges as the candidate at the primaries will become the senator representing the zone as from May 29.
Four strong contenders - Opeyemi Bamidele, Bode Ola, Babafemi Ojudu and Dele Alake - are locking horns. All of them are successful and proud sons of Ekitiland. They are men of strong will and principle.
Since they are of Ekiti stock, they are principled and not malleable. Despite sharing similar political ideas, none of them is willing to step down for the other. The four are eminently qualified to occupy the position.
Three of them, Bamidele, a lawyer and two-time commissioner in Lagos State, Alake, journalist and Bamidele’s predecessor as Commissioner for Information and Strategy, and Ojudu, another journalist, are politically and intimately related to the three godfathers- the party leader, Senator Bola Tinubu, former governor of the state, Otunba Niyi Adebayo and now, Governor Fayemi. They were also soldiers of democracy during the ‘June 12’ struggle.
Ola and Ojudu are from Ado local government. Alake is a native of Ikoro-Ekiti in Ijero local government. Bamidele hails from Irepodun-Ifelodun local government. If delegates vote along ‘ethnic’ lines, then, Efon, the gateway council, and Ekiti West, which have no indigene in the race, may be the deciding factors. Whoever gets the bloc votes from the two councils may emerge winner.
It is a challenging moment for the party elders and leaders who loathe the squabbles and bitterness usually associated with primaries. One of them, who spoke on the condition of anonymity stressed the need to put in place a mechanism for the resolution of post-primary crisis, which progressives have always failed to manage successfully.
A source said one of the aspirants may defect from the party, if he fails at the primaries, adding: "He has been saying it loud and we have cause to believe him.
After the primaries, ACN will brace up for the general election. Its senatorial candidate will slug it out with former Governor Ayo Fayose, who is likely to fly the Labour Party(LP) flag and the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Ola, a retired diplomat, is the incumbent senator representing the district. Although he won the election in 2007, the loser, Femi Kila, was given the certificate of return by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He was able to reclaim his mandate barely two years later at the Court of Appeal. But his kinsman, Ojudu, has criticised him for poor performance. The senator replied by advertising his activities and poverty alleviation projects in the newspapers. Curiously, no chieftain of the party seems ready to entertain appeals that Ola should be given the ticket because he was previously robbed by the opposition.
Ojudu, who is insisting that Ola should step aside, said the senatorial slot is not a traditional title, adding that any senator who cannot measure up should give way. The votes would be split between them in Ado their home town.
Ojudu’s Ekiti Rebirth Organisation is aggressively canvassing support for his ambition. In his campaign leaflet, he promised to promote Ekiti interest, project its personality and push its agenda in the Senate. But he is also under fire at home for other reasons. A House of Representatives aspirant, Jimoh Ibrahim, has directed his attention to the fact that the mood of the constituents supports the zoning of the slot to Irepodun-Ifelodun Council. It is an open secret that there is a gulf between him and Otunba Adebayo, who allegedly nurses grudges against him for the alleged role he played in the events that culminated in his departure from Government House. Asked whether this ruptured relationship would not affect his chance, Ojudu replied that a tree cannot make a forest.
The oldest in the race is Alake, an associate of Tinubu. He is a media guru and former Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy. He has a wealth of experience spanning three decades. A native of Ikoro, he was the last to declare his ambition. Many Nigerians believe that Alake will not go to the Senate to warm the seat. He will be a great debater.
Over two years ago, Bamidele entered the race without a rival. Then, Ola was still fighting Kila in court over the electoral robbery. He toured the five councils and elicited their support for his ambition. These rural dwellers recall that Opeyemi was visible during the battle for the restoration of Fayemi’s victory. The politician has also oiled the party machinery in the district morally, politically and financially and assisted the secretariat with equipment, including vehicles. Bamidele has also toured all the wards soliciting for their endorsement.
The supporters of Bamidele argue that his council has not produced a senator before. Femi Olupona, who is leading one of the groups on his campaign train, said equity, fairness and justice demanded that the commissioner should even be adopted as a consensus candidate.
Ibrahim, who shared their sentiments, said: "We have five local governments. Efon produced Senator Richard Babalola and Kila, although Kila is an impostor. Ekiti West produced Senator Clement Awoyelu. In the Third Republic, Ijero produced Senator O.J. Adewumi. Senator Ola is from Ado. The only local government that has not produced a senator is Irepodun-Ifelodun and the council has a competent candidate in the race". But Ojudu frowned at this. He said Ola became a candidate in 2007 because it was zoned to Ado.
The Iyin-Ekiti-born Bamidele told the constituents when he declared his ambition that he would not take salary as senator. He explained that he wanted to articulate the infrastructure problems of the neglected zone on the floor so that it can attract federal presence.
*** This write up was written by EMMANUEL OLADESU a reporter with The Nation Newspaper.
