A look at the final stage of campaigns by the major political parties as they round off preparations for the governorship election
The 18 political parties taking part in the June 21 governorship election in Ekiti State and their candidates are on the last lap of preparations for the poll. It is a race that would determine who will first occupy the New Government House, popularly called Oke-Ayoba, which is still under construction by the government of Governor Kayode Fayemi.
While Fayemi who initiated the Government House project that is about 80 per cent complete is poised to be the first to occupy the edifice, the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Ayo Fayose, and Labour Party candidate, Opeyemi Bamidele, are putting in their best to secure the people’s mandate to control the Government House after October 16.
Violence
The final days of campaigning for the election has seen pockets of violence, and this has become a source of worry to the electorate as they ready to go to the polls.
Mega rallies have been held by the three main political parties in the major cities of the state, where party bigwigs from across the country came to show solidarity with their candidates and members.
The final days of campaigning for the election has seen pockets of violence, and this has become a source of worry to the electorate as they ready to go to the polls.
Mega rallies have been held by the three main political parties in the major cities of the state, where party bigwigs from across the country came to show solidarity with their candidates and members.
Shunned Debate
One interesting aspect of the campaigns was the issue of political debates planned by various groups, which were, however, not attended by any of the candidates. The debates could not hold due to allegations of bias by some candidates. The candidates said they could not feature in the debates because they doubted the credibility of those behind the projects.
One interesting aspect of the campaigns was the issue of political debates planned by various groups, which were, however, not attended by any of the candidates. The debates could not hold due to allegations of bias by some candidates. The candidates said they could not feature in the debates because they doubted the credibility of those behind the projects.
The Election Debate Group, led by the veteran journalist, Chief Taiwo Alimi, was one of the groups that failed in its bid to hold a debate for the candidates in the Ekiti election. This was unlike what happened in Ondo State in 2012, when a similar debate was held in the state ahead of its governorship election.
It is still not clear whether the debate being planned by the Nigerian Union of Journalists and Nigeria Bar Association, tagged, “Election Peace Initiative on Election,” would hold before the election.
Second Term Jinx
The coming election in Ekiti State is unique in the essence that two of the candidates, Fayemi and Fayose, are running for second term. Bamidele is running for the exalted position for the first time. In Ekiti State, there appears to be a jinx on the issue of second term. No elected governor of Ekiti State has had a second term since the creation of the state on October 1, 1996.
Fayemi and Fayose are trying to break the second term jinx. But Bamidele, a new entrant, is struggling hard to establish his presence on the minds of the people.
The coming election in Ekiti State is unique in the essence that two of the candidates, Fayemi and Fayose, are running for second term. Bamidele is running for the exalted position for the first time. In Ekiti State, there appears to be a jinx on the issue of second term. No elected governor of Ekiti State has had a second term since the creation of the state on October 1, 1996.
Fayemi and Fayose are trying to break the second term jinx. But Bamidele, a new entrant, is struggling hard to establish his presence on the minds of the people.
Uniform Campaign Method
The three major political parties have seemed to copy each other’s campaign strategy, resulting in a situation where the three candidates are applying the same campaign methods.
Besides taking their campaigns to the royal fathers, to plead with them to prevail on their subjects to vote for their parties, the candidates have taken their campaigns to the door-steps of the electorate. They have taken their campaigns from village to village, community to community, street to street, and house to house.
The three major political parties have seemed to copy each other’s campaign strategy, resulting in a situation where the three candidates are applying the same campaign methods.
Besides taking their campaigns to the royal fathers, to plead with them to prevail on their subjects to vote for their parties, the candidates have taken their campaigns to the door-steps of the electorate. They have taken their campaigns from village to village, community to community, street to street, and house to house.
Leading his campaign team across the streets of Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, recently Fayemi assured that he would not relent in the transformation of the city. The APC candidate who started the last leg of the Ado -Ekiti campaign at Odo- Ado, visited communities, including Idege, Igimookogo, Igirigiri, Ita Eku, Olorunsogo, Ilokun, Egbewa, Ajebamidele, Moferere and Olorunda. He pledged to continue the pact which he made with the people of the state when he became governor.
Fayemi assured that he would continue to pursue the issues of water provision, road construction, construction of neighborhood markets, and extension of electricity to new areas in the communities. He added that his government would provide secondary schools at Ajebamidele and Odo in Ado Ekiti so that pupils from the community would not have to travel kilometres to other communities to get secondary education.
“We always get involved in the communities ourselves; some of their requests were not really novel to me. I know they wanted those things. Roads are a concern in our government; water is what we are working on in a comprehensive manner because we have just designed a master plan for water provision in the state,” the governor said.
At Ajebamidele, the community requested for a neighborhood market, a health centre and the completion of Ajebamidele-Omisanjana road. The governor assured that steps would be taken to build a health centre for the community.
Fayemi added that the construction of Ajebamidele-Omisanjana road was terminated because of the inability of the contractor handling it to perform, saying that the road will be continued before the end of the year. The governor urged the people to cast their votes for the APC on June 21 so that he could continue the various development projects that his administration had started. He also stressed the need for the people to be vigilant on the election day, saying that they should not allow anyone to intimidate and prevent them from exercising their civic right.
During his own community to community campaign, Fayose promised the students of the Ekiti State University (EKSU) College of Medicine prompt accreditation of the college by the National Universities Commission and the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria.
Fayose, while lamenting the non-accreditation of the College of Medicine, said students of the college had been unable to move beyond 300 levels because of the issue. He challenged Fayemi to explain to Ekiti people why the EKSU College of Medicine was not accredited till by both NUC and MDCN.
“Students in the College of Medicine are crying. They could not progress beyond 300 Level, having been in the university for five years,” Fayose said.
The LP candidate, Bamidele, promised to integrate the Nigeria Labour Congress into his government when elected to office. He said this was necessary to stop the recurring disagreements between the NLC and other trade unions, on the one hand, and governments at various levels, on the other.
Bamidele disclosed this during a meeting with the Ekiti chapter of NLC and all its 26 affiliate unions present in Ekiti State. He assured that labour matters would be priority attention by his government. He also stressed the need to reverse the dwindling fortunes of workers in the state, with a promise that NLC would have better welfare package and unhindered access to his administration.
The LP candidate told the workers, “I need more than just your votes; I also need your prayers since I’m one of you. I’m going to be governor of Nigerian workers, having been a member of the Nigerian Bar Association. This is because I will understand the attitude, psyche and language of Nigerian workers.
“We have done a census and x-ray of the workforce in Ekiti and we discovered that our workers need to be appreciated and my government will do just that. The Labour House and NLC in Ekiti will be an extension of my office as a governor.”
While lamenting the plight of Ekiti workers, Bamidele said, “I felt like shedding tears the day I addressed Ekiti pensioners. They took time to narrate how they used to be proud as pensioners and senior citizens until the advent of the current aqdministration. All these shall be addressed soon when we bring to your doorsteps a true government of the people.
“I promise you that pension and gratuity will be put on first line charge of the budget. We have told them that this money is their right and not a privilege.”
INEC
Meanwhile, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Ekiti State, Alhaji Halilu Pai, has said that the chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Attahiru Jega, will personally lead a team from the commission’s top management hierarchy to conduct the election in the state. Pai said Jega would be accompanied to the state by six National Commissioners and supported by all the Resident Electoral Commissioners in the neighboring states.
Meanwhile, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Ekiti State, Alhaji Halilu Pai, has said that the chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Attahiru Jega, will personally lead a team from the commission’s top management hierarchy to conduct the election in the state. Pai said Jega would be accompanied to the state by six National Commissioners and supported by all the Resident Electoral Commissioners in the neighboring states.
He said apart from leading the team that would conduct the poll, Jega and his men would also supervise the exercise in some places.
As the candidates and the electorate in Ekiti State make final preparations for the election, there is apprehension at the forefront of every mind about the peaceful conduct of the election and its credibility.
Whether the June 21 election would be free, fair and credible depends on the efforts of all the stakeholders, including INEC, the political parties and the electorate.
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