In one breath, they appear as friends, next they are at each other’s throat. In this report, WALE ELEGBEDE writes on the hot-and-cold relationship between the former governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi and his successor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose
Ekiti State politics is unique and somewhat unpredictable. The manner at which alliances and alignments come through and later fall usually defy graph plotting. Politicians in the Fountain of Knowledge State are usually united by interests at each point in time; hence, they are friends today but enemies tomorrow and vice-versa.
At a time, the alliance was between former governor Segun Oni and Ayodele Fayose against Dr. Kayode Fayemi; at another point, it was Fayose and Fayemi against Oni, among other strange bedfellows alignments in the state.
At present, the Fayose and Fayemi relationship is in a sour state and there is no indication that the no-love-lost relationship between them would halt anytime soon. A glance into how the relationship between the duo blossomed shows that Fayose, who was impeached as governor in 2006, resurfaced ahead of the 2007 governorship rerun election in the state to pitch tent with Fayemi, who was the candidate of the now defunct Action Congress (AC) against Engr. Segun Oni of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The budding relationship became a useful alliance that led to the eventual victory of Fayemi at the rerun election as declared by the court. But not long after, the baton of interest tested the strength of their relationship and like a pack of cards, it crumbled.
Fayose’s bid to contest for a senatorial seat on the platform of the AC was said to be opposed by the party’s hierarchy, reportedly instigated by Fayemi and other interests to favor Babafemi Ojudu. The refusal eventually led to his defection to the Labour Party where he lost to Ojudu.
The affair between them came to a head when Fayose decided to contest for the governorship seat against Fayemi in 2014, less than eight years after he was impeached from the same office. Afterwards, the scrambling began, and several interests joined the fray and the battle eventually ended with Fayose coming tops. Less than 24 hours after the emergence of Fayose, Fayemi conceded defeat and congratulated his successor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, after the June 21, 2014 governorship election in the state, the decision was taken in different strides.
In his statewide concession speech, Fayemi said, “I have just spoken with my brother, Mr. Peter Ayodele Fayose, congratulating him on his victory. In a few hours from now, I would be meeting the Governor-elect to discuss the future of our dear state and how we would work together to institute a smooth transition programme.”
While some people described the development as a refreshingly new development in the country’s political landscape, arguing that other politicians should take a cue from Fayemi, others viewed it as a cheap surrender in the war front by the erudite scholar.
Just as the people of Ekiti were about relieving the post-election fever, a reported feud between the inauguration teams of the Fayemi and that of Fayose rent the air and that unsettled the relative peace in the state. Not long after, the Ayo Fayose Campiagn Organisation and the state PDP, warned financial institutions from granting loan facilities to the government.
Not long after, Fayose, in a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, accused Fayemi of spending a whooping N50 million on beds in his and his wife’s bedrooms at the newly built N3.3 billion Ekiti State Government House.
He stated that between Fayemi and his wife, what was spent on their bedrooms, toilets and bathrooms will be in the region of N100m. Refuting Fayose’s claim, Mr. Olayinka Oyebode, the media aide to Fayemi, said the allegation “sounds silly and more like a comedy of errors. I don’t know, I have taken a guided tour of that place and I don’t think I have seen such outcry. “They are turning Ekiti into a circus show and they should stop it. It is childish and puerile for them to have come up with that figure.
There is nothing ostentatious about that lifestyle: the lodge is there as a property of state.” At another point, the duo clashed over the issue of non-payment of September 2014 salary to workers. Severally, the duo and their supporters had to verbally settle scores on the debt profile of the state.
In another swoop, however, Fayose surprised many analysts when he urged the three PDP senators from the state to support Fayemi, who was expected to face the Red Chamber for his ministerial screening after being nominated by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Fayose said about his predecessor, “An Ekiti man is an Ekiti man. The Ekiti project belongs to all and everything must be done to support it.Some people petitioned the National Assembly, stating how Fayemi sunk Ekiti into heavy debts but I have told the members not to do that.It is God that judges people, not us. You must support him there. They should not go to the Senate and oppose Kayode Fayemi, no, they must never do that.”
Upon the confirmation of Fayemi as minister and his eventual posting as Minister of Solid Minerals, a new wave of fireworks between them originated especially between the PDP and APC in Ekiti State. Last week, in what appears to be the hand of Esau but voice of Jacob, the Ekiti State House of Assembly petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), urging for the investigation and prosecution of Fayemi, and others for allegedly “looting” the state of N40 billion.
The petition to the anti-graft commission was dated October 24 and was submitted by three members of the Assembly: the Deputy Speaker Segun Adewumi; Chairman House Committee on Information, Samuel Omotoso; and Sina Animasaun to the EFCC.
The petition which mentioned Dapo Kolawole, Yemi Adaramodu, Abiodun Oyebanji, Oyelade (CASA Nig Ltd) and Bayo Kelekun as accomplices to Fayemi, was signed by the Speaker of the Assembly, Hon. Kolawole Oluwawole.
Speaking on the rationale for the petition, Adewunmi said, “We have decided to submit this petition openly so that Nigerians and indeed the entire world will be able to follow it up and ask questions from the EFCC as to what has happened to it.
“Consequent upon the resolution of the House of Assembly, we write to request for the investigation of the following allegations of fraudulent practices against the former Governor of Ekiti State and incumbent Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr Kayode Fayemi and others,” the petition read.
However, reacting to the allegation, Fayemi said the petition to the EFCC against him is a rehash of old tales told by little minds. In a statement issued by Oyebode, the minister said the allegations lacked substance, they are bound to fail like the previous allegations made by the State government and its agents.
““The Ekiti Assembly and indeed the Ayodele Fayose-led administration had spent the last two years rehearsing and rehashing all manners of ridiculous allegations in their desperate effort to taint Dr Fayemi’s reputation. As at last count they have come up with six different attempts, with varying degrees of falsehood.
“Dr. Fayemi’s four years meritorious service in Ekiti remains an open book. The administration’s financial dealings and executed projects were well documented and copies of the documents are with the Assembly.
We enjoin them to read the necessary portions and get the right answers to their puerile posers. “But if their intention is to distract the Minister and paint him in corrupt garb, then they have failed, as Dr. Fayemi cannot be distracted by the government’s cheap blackmail,” the statement said.
Rising in defence of Fayemi, the Ekiti APC, described the petition as “Governor Ayo Fayose’s attempt to divert attention from his probe by the EFCC on the alleged use of arms cash to fund his 2014 governorship campaign and revelations from witnesses in the courts.’’
In a statement issued by its Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, the APC maintained that the lawmakers lack the constitutional powers to act as petitioners in a matter that concerns only the executive. He said: “These lawmakers are pitiable sights on television speaking to reporters on an issue they have no competence and you can see their mediocrity as a bunch of slave boys to a reckless, lawless governor desperately seeking to divert the attention of Nigerians from the revelations in court over his seamless infractions on the law to stay in power.”
Meanwhile, some political watchers have opined that the latest move to call Fayemi’s integrity to question may not be devoid of the political antics ahead of the 2018 governorship election in the state and the 2019 election in the country.
Those in this school of thought averred that the various alignments in the South-West, especially the perceived division within the ranks of the APC in the zone, may have instigated the renewed hostility between Fayemi and Fayose.
In fact, they drew correlation from the recent visit of Osun State governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, to Fayose as the basis of moves to create a new alignment within the zone. Whatever the case may be, it is expected that the coming days will produce new trend of events in the Fountain of Knowledge state.
– New Telegraph
