By Durodolu Akande

Ekiti state since its creation has been ruled, either by administrators, some for political emergencies, or by elected political leaders. In 2026, the state will go into another poll to elect new political office holders, including the governor to rule for the next four years.

Meanwhile, political gladiators have been gathering momentum, including members and supporters of various political parties as the State prepares for the 2026 governorship election.

Thousands of All Progressives Congress (APC), as the ruling party, as well as the main opposition in the state, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) among other political parties are getting ready for the great task ahead.

However, one thing that cuts across every political or party divide is the agitation by the people from the South Senatorial District of the state to elect a governor for the state. For almost 30 years of the state’s existence, no governor has emerged from the south. Therefore, people, and their supporters again have started regrouping and gradually strategizing for what has been termed “the Southern Agenda to produce the next governor”.

The agitation, according to some stakeholders from the district, who are interested in ensuring that the next governor of Ekiti comes from the Southern District in 2026 is not only going to be peaceful, but realistic.

The Ekiti South Senatorial District comprises six local government areas: Gbonyin, Emure, Ise-Orun, Ikere, Ekiti East and Ekiti South West, while the North and Central have Five councils each, leaving the agitators with the highest councils.

Accordingly, the stakeholders are determined to take over the mantle at the South senatorial district. The agitation is that, in 2026, the governor must come from the Ekiti South Senatorial District. “We have regrouped and gathered to properly deliver our agitation in a peaceful manner, seeking that come 2026, the South Senatorial District should be considered for the position of governor in Ekiti State;

“Other districts have produced the governor for two terms each and are on their third term. Our position is that the South Senatorial District which has not produced a governor for even a day must now produce the governor in 2026. If Ekiti is truly rested on the platform of three legs, and the two other legs have had this opportunity, the South should have its own slot of the opportunity to produce governor.”

Arguing their point from October 1, 1996 when the state was created, they submitted, “We are talking of Ekiti State and not the old Ondo State. Whatever happened in Ondo State then is regarded to have stopped and expired by 1st of October 1996.”

The leaders, who were convinced that the agitation would be realised, said, “We are very optimistic on the agitation. As a matter of fact, we are going to get it; even the Ekiti people are looking towards the South in producing the next governor. If however at the end of the day, the party(APC) decided in their own wisdom, to do anything that is different from ours, we don’t have any other party to drive the Agenda, we will succumb to the directive of the leaders of the party, but am very sure, that the leadership of the party would decide in our favour.”

Speaking on if the district has all it takes in terms of human resources to vie for the number one seat in the state against other governorship aspirants from other senatorial district, the agitators said, “it is not the number of aspirants that is important, but the seriousness and good conscience of the aspirants that matters.

“Out of the whole lot, only few will be serious enough to clinch the ticket of any political party, as some will see their contest as an avenue to lobby or negotiate for other positions, either elected or appointed.

“APC, being at the center, cannot be considered as a roadside party where anybody can wake up on the wrong side of his bed that he wants to be its flag bearer. At the appropriate time, the pretenders would be chipped out of the contenders. We have more hands than other districts to rule the state effectively. Ekiti South Agenda is clamouring for the agitation; because we want the leadership of the party to take up the issue and look more and deeply into it”, he said.

In a chat with one of the State Executive of the party, who doesn’t want his name mentioned, said, “the APC is thinking along the line, because other zones in the state have had a great share of the governorship seat in the State.

“I can assure the people of the zone that the party knew the truth and we are also working towards persuading the agitators to be gentle and have trust in the state executive of the party. We will present this matter before the state leadership for deliberation and I can assure them that we will get back before the primaries and communicate with them”.

The stakeholders commended some agitators in the senatorial district, who have been coming to the assistance of the party on several occasions, through financial assistance and other means, reaching to the party in the state.

They, however, cautioned members of the party from the zone against engaging themselves in hate speeches, rather, continue in their peaceful mobilisation and prayed for the achievement of Southern agitation.

The stakeholders reminded the members to see themselves as one family in the spirit of unity even as they promised that their agitations would receive positive response.

With various adoption of Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji (BAO) and agitation for his return for a second term, who hails from Ikogosi-Ekiti in Ekiti Southwest Local government area of Ekiti Central, what becomes of the South Agenda?

The clamour for his return for a second term has created so much tension, heat, attraction and attention with agitations for zoning of the ticket to the Southern senatorial district

The agitations are becoming more deafening and creating serious albatross for the major political parties and figures, as the Southern agitators have formed major issues causing a serious fix in the ruling party in the state, making them to become confused on daily basis as the party primary approaches.

Attending and listening to the Southern agitators seems to be the only way of ensuring equality in the system as jettisoning could spell doom for both polity and party as the people actually feel ostracised since the advent of democracy in 1999. No one from the six local governments of the Southern areas has tasted the seat. This supposedly disturbing agitation has been on the minds of politicians and critical stakeholders, which makes it a serious issue prior to the 2026 polls.

Since the state has been savouring democratic rule and the South has not gotten a fair share, this sounds rather unfair in the fair distribution of political offices, because politicians from the zone, as professionals, traditional rulers are insisting that it’s time for the Southern to come on board.

Everything has always favored the North and Central where the likes of Governor Kayode Fayemi, Segun Oni (though controversial) Ayodele Fayose and Niyi Adebayo, where they all hail from.

The Southern agitators were feeling sidelined and cheated, hence raising tension, making it go beyond a mere factor, but becoming a real issue of monumental proportion as far as governorship is concerned in Ekiti. It is not out of place to submit that the party, APC too has not rested on the agenda, though, some strong forces however, regrouped to make nonsense of the agitation, on the argument that Ekiti is predominantly homogeneous in language, customs and way of life and that politics should not be allowed to divide the state.

They believe that political powers should not be arrogated to only two beneficiaries in the Northern and Central zones at the expense of the Southern zone.

Since political dispensation in the state, the best the Southern Senatorial District can boast of is producing deputy governors in the likes of Mr Abiodun Aluko, Senator Biodun Olujimi, Bisi Omoyeni; and Prof Kolapo Olusola-Eleka.

Interestingly, three of the four former deputy governors – Aluko of the All Progressives Congress; and Olujimi and Olusola of the Peoples Democratic Party took a shot at the governorship position during the 2022 polls.

But the fear, which has continued to be of concern to the majority of the people from the southern district, is whether any of the aspirants from the zone can emerge as candidates of the dominant parties and win the election.

Financial expert, Kayode Adaramodu, is one of the PDP aspirants from the South, while those from the APC include a former minister, Senator Dayo Adeyeye; a Special Adviser to Governor Kayode Fayemi, Prof Bolaji Aluko; House of Representatives member, Femi Bamisile; Ekiti State Commissioner for Public Utilities, Bamidele Faparusi, and Special Adviser to Fayemi on Federal Matters, Makinde Araoye.

Also, in the Central Senatorial District, an APC chieftain and Senate Majority Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, indicated interest in contesting the election. He was Labour Party’s governorship candidate in 2014 and an aspirant in 2018.

The apprehension by the people of the South is not unfounded. Despite the agitations for their region to produce the next governor based on the need for justice and equity, the North and Central have held sway.

While the governors from the North and Central have held sway for several years, Oyebanji is still agitating for another tenure from the Central, while the South has yet to occupy the position.

The question is, “is it a taboo for politicians from the South, who have always been deputy, from being governors? Enough of being a deputy, it is governorship that we want. We should not allow anybody to entice or lure us with the deputy governorship position, southern agitators insist.

To stop playing the second fiddle and by extension the alleged political marginalisation of the zone, the people under different groups and fora had begun moves to produce the candidates of the two dominant political parties, believing one of them would win. Considering the support being given by political leaders to aspirants from the North and Central, the South may be in for a hot contest.

Indications from government circle and feelers from loyalists in the APC point to the direction of Oyebanji, who is from the Central, remains their preferred candidate for a second term in office, hence, politicians across different political parties in the southern district of the state are making moves that it is their turn this time round.

This informed the call by the Southern agitators. to look beyond their party differences to ruminate on the issue of producing the next governor.

A former APC governorship aspirant and House of Representatives member, said that nothing stops Ekiti South from producing the next governor if the people of the district remain united.

“We are not fighting the government or anybody, but we want to correct the anomaly so that one of us will become governor. We are capable and competent. On Ekiti South agenda I stand.”

The APC chieftain, who said the South had the majority of votes with six local government areas, while the Central and North had five local government areas each, wondered why the two senatorial districts would continue to dominate the political circle in the state.

Another former PDP governorship aspirant, corroborated Bamisile’s position, regretting that despite having the highest number of local government areas, the South remained the one that had yet to produce the governor, adding, “The neglect must stop, if truly Ekiti is one. What we are asking is that all parties’ candidates must emerge from the South. That is when we will know that you have us in mind. What we want is equity, justice and fairness and this is the time justice must be done to the South in the eyes of God and man.

“If you don’t allow the South now, it means they will wait for another four years before taking a shot at it and the state would have existed democratically for many years without a governor from Ekiti South District.”

Also, a former Minister said, “It is sad that Ekiti South indigenes are now having the psychology of second class citizens. This is the time for us to change the trend. How can a state that was formed on the basis of justice and equity now become a centre of injustice? We must work together and resist this oppression in the interest of our today and our future.”

He advised that action must be taken to address the injustice being meted to the South, saying the state was created on the pillars of justice, fair play and equity.

“We are capable, able, available, willing and ready to rule this state. Some people may want to entice you with another second fiddle, we are not going to take that, I just want to appeal to us to be united.

A serving national assembly member, advised the people of Ekiti South to demonstrate a high level of seriousness towards producing a governor “by allowing charity to begin at home. Aspirants from PDP, APC or any other should ensure that only one aspirant from the South is presented at the respective party primaries.”

He expressed solidarity with the Southern agitators, saying, “The people of Ekiti must encourage the leadership of the parties to hearken to the voice of reasoning and pick their candidates from the South.

“If southern Nigeria is saying the presidency should come to the South in 2023, what has Ekiti South done to deserve marginalisation? It is your time to produce the governor. Some of us from the Central and North of Ekiti are in support of a southern governor in 2026.”

However, aspirants from other parts believe that the inability of the South to produce a governor since 1996 was not anybody’s making as there was no time the zone was deprived or denied the right to contest.

To the aspirants from the North and Central senatorial districts from APC and PDP, what should matter in the 2026 election and those after it is the emergence of the best as candidates of the various political parties.

“Everybody’s free to agitate. I believe it is the best that should win the primaries. Ekiti is a homogeneous state, we are all Ekiti. All we need now in Ekiti is good governance. Forget whether you are from the South, Central or North; that does not matter now. We need the person that can do the job so that we can move forward as a state.

“What other political parties should prioritise is who can defeat the ruling APC rather than the sentiment of zoning, because it will do incalculable damage to the various political parties, as only a ruling party can zone governorship. But if you are in the opposition, you should only think of who can take power.

“In 2010, we all assisted the South to become governor, hence compensating them with key positions like the minister, Secretary to the State Government, commissioner for Works to the South when I was governor,”a former governor said.

All aspirants should, however, be given a level-playing ground, stating, “since democracy started in Ekiti, there has never been a time anybody from the southern part of the state was denied or asked not to contest.

“If truly democracy is government of the people, by the people and for the people, the idea of zoning and party supremacy by way of imposition is out of it. The game of democracy from time is a game of numbers.

“What we want right now is the best person that can help us improve the viability of our state and tap into the God-given resources that we have.

“To me, that is more important than where you come from. I’m not saying the South Senatorial District does not have great people; we have great people in the South. But the way Ekiti is structured, everybody will go to the poll and the people will choose who they want, no matter where the person is coming from.”

A political analyst said the agitation of the people of the South could bring positive results, added, “the first step is to agitate and fight for your right. To the best of my mind, the southern agitation is tailored to achieve this.

“The second issue is that the political actors from the zone must be resolute and shun any position that may be dangled in front of them as a bait to divide them. They must reach out to their compatriots from the other zones, woo them, make them see reasons and correct the impression that the South lacks capable individuals.

“They should also use subtle threat to make them shift grounds. Above all, they need to put aside personal ego and put forward a popular candidate from the two dominant parties,”a stakeholder said.

The agitation by the people from the southern senatorial district and the role power shift would play in who emerges as candidate to confront the current occupier, Governor Oyebanji and unseat him from getting the second term nod should be pursued with clear vision, oneness and unity.

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