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MONDAY QUARTER-BACKING: "Bolaji, What the Heck Happened in Ekiti State?"
by
Mobolaji Aluko, PhD
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Monday, June 23, 2014
My People:
Concession Speech of
His Excellency
Dr. Kayode FAYEMI
Governor, Ekiti State, Nigeria
On Ekiti Gubernatorial Election Day Saturday June 21 2014, a lot of friends called, and ever since, more have called me, from within and outside Nigeria to ask, "Bolaji, what the heck is happening in Ekiti? What happened to your friend Kayode? We all heard that he was doing so well in Ekiti State?"
Oh well, on Election Day, I too made a number of frantic calls from Lagos (where I was attending a niece's wedding), and all I got were variants of the plaintive response: "We too don't know EXACTLY what is happening, but whatever is happening is REALLY happening o...at least in my ward o!" Attention to the wedding reception was interrupted several time with huddles between many of us attendees, from Ekiti and from without, episodically with more than one phone in two ears.
And so the Election has been lost and won, not necessarily freely and fairly, but squarely enough for it to be accepted as the current will of the Ekiti people, both at and AFTER the election, in the presence of jubilation for the winner by his supporters, absence of protest on the street by the loser's supporters after the results announcement, after a commendable concession by our friend and brother Governor Kayode Fayemi to incoming Governor Ayo Fayose, and an amicable meeting between the twain since.
Thus, an unprecedented smooth transfer of administration has even begun, but the question remains: what happened?
One essay below - and a short commentary AFTER it - is an un-commissioned paper that in these early days seems to address some of the reasons. I don't agree with ALL of them, but certainly they are worth paying attention to at the level of current socio-political development of our dear country.
I have also added for the record Governor Kayode Fayemi's concession speech, as well as incoming governor Fayose's comment about Fayemi, to fulfil all righteousness. as well as a summary of the election results.
The key issue is that Ekiti has introduced two words into the politics of Nigeria: stomach infrastructure - or the lack of it in preference to "physical infrastructure." ""Ona lo mi ko, ko ko inu!" appears to have been the amusing hick cry of many of my Ekiti people.
Our country bleeds sociologically......we must pay attention to employment....and to its relief, however minor, while waiting for employment.
Electoral democracy speaks, and people must listen. The opportunity to serve people is a blessing, and the Fayemi administration is a permanent blessing to the Ekiti people, and the incoming Fayose administration, whether it likes it or not, will be the better for it. I intend to join several others to watch out for the "new improved" Fayose; his early comments on Fayemi are encouraging.
My own final question: if a state as small as Ekiti must be so militarized to secure an electoral process to make it anywhere near credible, do we have enough resources to so militarize the whole nation in a national election in 2015? The answer, my friends, is blowing in the wind.
And there you have it. Let us move on....let politics end in Ekiti for now, and governance begin anew.
Bolaji Aluko
Not crestfallen
With World Cup as a worthy balm
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If This Is the Will of the People.........
Concession Speech of
His Excellency
Dr. Kayode FAYEMI
Governor, Ekiti State, Nigeria
Following the 2014 Gubernatorial Elections
Government House, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria
Government House, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria
Sunday, June 22, 2014
Protocols
In o kun o Ekiti kete.
Protocols
In o kun o Ekiti kete.
Yesterday, Ekiti State decided. Following the gubernatorial elections held in the land of honour, Ekiti State, Nigeria, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially returned the candidate of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner of the election.
If indeed this is the will of the Ekiti People, I stand in deference to your will. If the result of the elections is an expression of the voice of our people, we must all heed your voice.
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.
It has been a hard fought election. As expected, in the course of the campaigns, there were unsavory episodes as the candidates toured the nooks and crannies of the state to sell ourselves to the people. Elections tend to be highly divisive affairs that often see brother rising against brother. Despite our diverse party affiliations, and regardless of which way we voted on Saturday, we must remember that we are all sons and daughters of Ekiti State. Ekiti is ours to build together.
On our part, over the course of the campaigns, we presented our scorecards before the people of Ekiti State. We never at any point took your support for granted. We campaigned, we canvassed and we traversed the nooks and crannies of this State. Our performance and achievements in office will remain the backdrop against which the next government and indeed future governments will be assessed. We are proud that with the support of Ekiti people, we have raised the bar of excellence in governance. In all, we gave our best, for conscience and for posterity.
On our part, over the course of the campaigns, we presented our scorecards before the people of Ekiti State. We never at any point took your support for granted. We campaigned, we canvassed and we traversed the nooks and crannies of this State. Our performance and achievements in office will remain the backdrop against which the next government and indeed future governments will be assessed. We are proud that with the support of Ekiti people, we have raised the bar of excellence in governance. In all, we gave our best, for conscience and for posterity.
Indeed a new sociology of the Ekiti people may have evolved. However, the task of understanding how the outcome of this election has defined us as a people will be that of scholars. For us as an administration and a cadre of political leaders in Ekiti State, we have fought a good fight, we have kept faith.
To members of our party, our campaign team and indeed all Ekiti people who defied the siege on our state to cast their votes for our party, I salute your exemplary courage and doggedness in the face of harassment. Thank you for staying the course. The incidences of brazen harassment, intimidation and allied infractions on fundamental human rights, which many of you suffered in the hands of agents of the state, would be documented and communicated to the appropriate authorities, for the records.
To members of our party, our campaign team and indeed all Ekiti people who defied the siege on our state to cast their votes for our party, I salute your exemplary courage and doggedness in the face of harassment. Thank you for staying the course. The incidences of brazen harassment, intimidation and allied infractions on fundamental human rights, which many of you suffered in the hands of agents of the state, would be documented and communicated to the appropriate authorities, for the records.
I thank you all for listening.
May God bless the land of honour, Ekiti State, Nigeria.
May God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Dr. Kayode Fayemi
Governor, Ekiti State
Sunday, June 22, 2014
May God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Dr. Kayode Fayemi
Governor, Ekiti State
Sunday, June 22, 2014
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FAYEMI IS AN UNUSUAL LEADER , SAYS FAYOSE
...as Fayemi reiterates commitment to good governance till end of tenure
Ekiti State Governor-elect, Mr Ayodele Fayose, has described the incumbent Governor of the State, Dr Kayode Fayemi as an unusual Nigerian leader who puts the interest of his State ahead of personal gains.
Mr Fayose who gave the commendation in Ado-Ekiti on Monday during a courtesy visit to Dr Fayemi in his office said Fayemi's attitude to the outcome of Saturday's poll shows that "he conceded in the overall interest of Ekiti State".
The Governor-elect said Fayemi has demonstrated commitment to the peace and development of the State since 2010; assuring that he would complement all achievements made by the incumbent Governor when he hands over in October.
Fayose said: "I got a call from the Governor, our leader, Dr Kayode Fayemi and he told me expressly of his readiness to ensure that the State moves forward by accepting the result in the outcome of the June 21 governorship election which I consider he is the only statesman that can do that without being immodest.
"I want to equally understand the fact that as a leader and governor of a State, when such gestures are made, it behoves on people like me as a leader on the other side to meet with him and acknowledge the fact that he conceded in the overall interest of Ekiti. It is unusual; it is not Nigerian or an African-like for leaders to concede readily", He added.
The governor-elect while urging supporters of each political party to shun acts that can jeopardize the peace of the State said it was time for reconciliation in order to build upon what Fayemi had done.
" I hope this meeting will further strengthen the peace in our State, and I want to add that our supporters must help us to help this State. Some came to my house yesterday singing all sorts of songs, I had to wake up and stop them. This is not a time to sing such songs. It is a time for reconciliation and love, to learn from the past and ensure that we have a wonderful future ahead of us. This leadership calls for us to live according to the rules of the game and ensure that tomorrow, we will be made accountable.
"Dr Fayemi has demonstrated commitment to peace and I am going to complement his effort. I am going to take it up from wherever he stops and make sure that immediately after office, he still continues to enjoy his rights and benefits of a leader that has served his own people.", he said.
In his response, Governor Fayemi reiterated his commitment to delivering the dividends of democracy to the people within the next few months before the transition to another regime.
The Governor stressed that politicians should not misinterpret governance with politics during the period as this could heat up the polity even as the administration still has obligations to deliver to the people until October 15 this year.
"It is important for the benefit of our people, the tenure of this government ends on October 15, 2014 and it is absolutely important that government continues to deliver the goods to the people of Ekiti until we are constitutionally mandated to leave office. To that extent, it is important that politics should be treated separately from governance and that politicians by their very nature would want to behave in a particular way but we as leaders must ensure that we handle that with restraints so that Ekiti people are the beneficiaries at the end of the day. We don't want anything that will heat up the polity simply because we have a process of transition in place", the Governor asserted.
Dr Fayemi while reacting to Fayose's surprise at his concession stated his respect for the will of the people even as he said that this is one of the ways Ekiti State can progress faster considering its disadvantaged position.
"For me, leadership is about service. It is about sacrifice. It is not about personal aggrandizement, not about personal benefit but the duty that we owe our people is to ensure that Ekiti continues to progress. Anything that will make the state progress is what I will be associated with. People have said my gesture is strange, it is unafrican, well I am a democrat and the will of the people is the basis of democracy. If it is the will of the people, we do not have a choice than to respect their will, and to do everything to ensure that we deepen this democracy not just for Ekiti but also for Nigeria", he said.
The Governor added that his meeting with Fayose is aimed at setting up a transition committee which will fine tune the process leading to the transition from the current administration to the incoming one.
"The lesson for us is that as Ekiti people, whatever we do must be in the overall interest of this place even when we suffer personal losses, as long as our State which is still largely disadvantaged can get out of this and our people can laugh last by having a better society entrenched in this State, we will all have been winners of this process
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Ekiti State Population & 2014 Gubernatorial Election Figures
LG | Name of Local Government | HQ | 2006 Census | Valid No. of Registered Voters | ACN (Fayemi) | LP (Bamidele) | PDP (Fayose) |
1 | Ado-Ekiti | Ado-Ekiti | 308,621 | 134,141 | 13,927 | 2,065 | 41,169 |
2 | Ekiti East | Omuo-Ekiti | 137,955 | 47,293 | 8,584 | 884 | 12,498 |
3 | Gbonyin (Aiyekire) | Ode-Ekiti | 148,193 | 42,267 | 8,138 | 714 | 11,046 |
4 | Ekiti South West | Ilawe-Ekit | 165,277 | 42,285 | 6,746 | 1,413 | 11,038 |
5 | Ekiti West | Aramoko | 179,892 | 40,856 | 7,860 | 884 | 10,702 |
6 | Efon Alaaye | Efon-Alaaye | 86,941 | 22,845
| 3,422 | 358 | 5,335 |
7 | Emure | Emure-Ekiti | 93,884 | 27,091 | 4,332 | 1,527 | 7,086 |
8 | Ise/Orun | Ise-Ekiti | 113,754 | 35,099 | 5,809 | 600 | 10,136 |
9 | Ido-Osi | Ido-Ekiti | 159,114 | 43,070 | 7,134 | 1,182 | 13,045 |
10 | Ijero | Ijero-Ekiti | 221,405 | 49,484 | 9,348 | 1,554 | 13,814 |
11 | Ikere | Ikere-Ekiti | 147,355 | 45,747 | 7,989 | 585 | 16,197 |
12 | Ikole | Ikole-Ekiti | 168,436 | 49,274 | 8,804 | 1,259 | 14,238 |
13 | Irepodun/Ifelodun | Igede-Ekiti | 129,149 | 54,430 | 6,834 | 3,555 | 13,308 |
14 | Moba | Otun-Ekiti | 146,496 | 40,570 | 7,994 | 1,000 | 8,878 |
15 | Ilejemeje | Iye-Ekiti | 43,530 | 11,796 | 3,336 | 165 | 3,670 |
16 | Oye | Oye-Ekiti | 134,210 | 45,918 | 10,176 | 512 | 11,200 |
Total | 2,384,212 | 732,166 | 120,433 | 18,257 | 203,360 |
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"I spent Saturday night and Sunday asking people why Fayemi lost and the near universal response was that he was an educated man who was working on the wrong type of infrastructure. The slogan of the people for the election, I was told, was a short Yoruba poem – "Ona lo mi ko, ko ko inu!" meaning that the governor has embarked on building infrastructure but what the people want is to build the infrastructure of their stomachs. In short, he did not make money flow through the political machine."-Dr. Jibrin Ibrahim
Ekiti's Lessons for Democracy, By Jibrin Ibrahim
At 4:19 a.m. yesterday morning, INEC declared Ayo Fayose of the PDP as the winner of the Ekiti governorship election. It was an outcome that surprised many. The sitting governor had the privilege of incumbency. Above all, he had acquired the reputation of being one of the best performing governors in the country. He had really built a massive road infrastructure for the state and initiated many good social programmes such as social security payments to the elderly.
Having spent a week observing the run up to and the election in Ekiti, it appeared clear to me that Fayemi was not rigged out, he was simply voted out by the people he had been implementing good governance programmes to help and support. The masses turned their back on a governor that was working for them.
Fayemi's background was civil society activism and I took over the directorship of the Centre for Democracy and Development from him when he decided to crossover into politics in January 2006. Politics was for him an opportunity to get power and implement all the progressive programmes we have been developing and advocating for over the years. In our world of civil society, our expectation is that the reward for good governance should be re-election. Sadly, that's not exactly what rulebook of democratic theory states. In a democracy, people choose the candidate they like the most at election time and not necessarily the best candidate. That is what the Ekiti electorate did and we should respect their choice.
I spent Saturday night and Sunday asking people why Fayemi lost and the near universal response was that he was an educated man who was working on the wrong type of infrastructure. The slogan of the people for the election, I was told, was a short Yoruba poem – "Ona lo mi ko, ko ko inu!" meaning that the governor has embarked on building infrastructure but what the people want is to build the infrastructure of their stomachs. In short, he did not make money flow through the political machine. American political scientists studying urban politics in the early 20 century in large cities such as Chicago popularized the concept of machine politics.
The basic principle of machine politics is transforming elections into a reward system by mobilizing poor and vulnerable groups and getting them to vote for money rather than principles. In Nigeria, machine politics is called building structures, a euphemism for using godfathers to deliver votes on the basis of a rewards system. What machine politics or godfatherism does is that it evacuates issue-based politics from the voting system and often that is our political reality we are confronted with in this country.
In a sense, Kayode Fayemi's long and difficult march to Government House might have relied substantially on Bola Tinubu's political machine and the words in the streets of Ado Ekiti was that the governor assumed the moment had arrived for him to liberate himself from the structures that helped him to power. If indeed that was the case, his decision to sell himself on the basis of his performance was a correct and brave one. The result however of this liberation from the godfather was the loss of power and people have the right to choose their destiny.
Abandoning the political machine is however not enough to explain why he lost comprehensively in all the sixteen local governments in the State. There was clearly a failure of political communication on his part. Fayemi did invest considerably in communications. About 80% of the billboards I saw in the state carried his smiling face. He was massively present on radio and television.
I cannot remember any newspaper that did not carry a long interview on his performance in government. His twitter handle had a massive following and he was liked on Facebook. Fayemi had participated in the first Obama campaign and these tools were important in getting a black man elected as American president. I suspect that most of the famers and teachers in Ekiti State are not on twitter or Facebook and do not read newspapers. The huge Ekiti diaspora in Ife and Lagos and above all in the United States had access to these media and love Fayemi for his good politics; the people in the grassroots did not hear his message.
They however heard the message of one Ayo Foyose who according to street legend will visit them in their villages, share palm wine or pure water with them, dance to his heart's desire and depart leaving them with some goodies. The Fayose legend in Ekiti is not about somebody who had been suspected of murder or of a non-performing impeached former governor. He was able to communicate that he was someone like them and above all, he was someone who is aware that the infrastructure of their stomachs mattered to him.
PDP knew what they were doing when they choose him above all the other educated and suave politicians that sought the party nomination. While I respect the choice of the people of Ekiti, I don't like it, I believe it's bad for our political future and I am convinced that we must return to issue-based politics if we are to deepen our democracy. My good friend Kayode Fayemi took the right approach, he could have improved him political communication but he most not be despondent about the loss. Lets all continue to advocate for the politics of good governance until the people get it.
The important issue about the election was that INEC's performance was very good. The logistics were well planned and there was timely arrival of electoral materials in most of the polling units we visited. The process of accreditation of voters started in most polling units between 08.00 and 08.30 am. Voting also commenced at about 12:30 pm in most of the polling units. Finally, Jega and his team are getting it right. The voter's turn out was impressive considering widespread concerns that people would be intimidated by the massive deployment of security personnel. The good turn out was a testimony to the civic consciousness of the people of Ekiti.
The Federal Government had deployed over 30,000 security officials in the rather small 6353 sq. km of Ekiti State. The whole place looked like a police state and all sorts of modern arms were being displayed by parading soldiers and policemen. There was clear evidence of intimidation and arrests of certain APC officials. Security personnel scandalously stopped some APC governors joining Fayemi's final campaign rally. On Election Day, a security helicopter kept circulating above Fayemi's country home where he was. All these show that while INEC performed well, the security services were less than neutral in their actions. This must be condemned with vigour and resisted in future. Nonetheless, the message from Ekiti is that if democracy is about the power of the people, we cannot but allow the people use their power the way they want.
Dr. Jibrin Ibrahim, a senior fellow of the Centre for Democracy and Development, CDD, and Chairman of the Premium Times editorial board, was in Ekiti as an election monitor.
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Commentary by Nkolika of Unizik
Prof Jibril,
Ekiti is not alone, if APC had devoted time to study what happened in Anambra state, they may not have lost Ekiti state, it was the same politics of the stomach, you see the people trooping in large numbers to the campaign of a candidate who is sharing money.
On the voting day, some political parties like PDP and APGA were busy sharing money to voters, this time you have to prove that you voted for them before you collect your share of the money, when the money finishes, you write your name on a paper to collect later. The police look away, after all they too may have been settled. That is why Tony Nwoye won more votes than Ngige in areas where we all thought that Ngige will win with a big margin. Even the governor started early enough by distributing cars to traditional rulers and influential people in Anambra state, town unions were given about N2 miilion Naira each to spend as they like, churches received theirs too.
We all criticize it but that is what is working now. The people believe that all politicians are the same, they will be forgotten in the sharing spree that has become associated with governance now, so why should they not collect their own share before the voting. APC should actually change their strategy if they want to make any headway in 2015. If they can lose Ekiti, they will lose anywhere. Losing Ekiti is a sign that their men were not on the ground. You need to be in power to change the mindset of the people, outside the corridors of power, it is even more difficult.
Politics of issues in Nigeria of today can not work until poverty is addressed.
Nkolika
Awka
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