By Ọmọọba Olusẹsan Alabi
It is no longer news that Ekiti State has a date with history on 20th June 2026. That date is set for the gubernatorial election, to determine the next tenant of Oke Ayoba, the official residence of Ekiti State Governor. As at last count, the race had thrown up thirteen contestants. Among the leading three is the current occupant, His Excellency, Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, (BAO). BAO had been in the saddle since 16th October, 2022. He was elected on the platform of All Progressive Congress, (APC). He is asking Ekiti people to renew his tenancy for another term of four years. The other two major contestants are Dr. Wole Oluyede of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) and Amb. Dare Bejide of the African Democratic Congress, (ADC). While BAO is canvassing Ekiti people to retain his services for the next four years, other contestants are out to get him out of the job.
The crux of the matter here is an election that has the potential to throw up a number of firsts. With BAO in 2022, the APC succeeded a back to back win in Ekiti for the very first time, not just for the party, but the first time any party would do that in Ekiti. It will be recalled that Oyebanji’s predecessor was John Kayode Fayemi, who though a second timer, did not come in back to back. His first attempt to succeed himself in 2014 failed, but he made a dramatic come-back four years later. Earlier before him, Governor Niyi Adebayo also failed to secure a second term bid. Even Governor Ayo Fayose who was the first Governor to serve a second term in Ekiti, did not have the opportunity of a back to back win. He did not even complete his first term due to extenuating circumstances.
Having broken the earlier party back to back jinx, will BAO be the first to succeed himself? If he does, it will be a first in Ekiti. From available evidence, it appears a done deal. As already mentioned, there are twelve other candidates on the INEC list; but only two fit the bill of contestants. These are Wole Oluyede of the PDP and Dare Bejide of the ADC. What are their chances? What are they bringing to the table? What are they offering the electorate? What carrot are they dangling to persuade Ekiti to turn their backs on BAO in their favour?
Dr. Wole Oluyede emerged as the PDP flagbearer in November last year. Until recently, he had faced internal opposition within his party. His candidacy faced a significant hurdle when the INEC initially excluded his name from the official list of candidates. He lost real time fighting the inner crises in his party and the legal battle. His party, the PDP, is but a shadow of itself in Ekiti. No matter his strength, without a united and formidable party apparatchik behind him, it is going to be an uphill task. We are looking at a PDP without Ayo Fayose, Biodun Olujimi, Ayo Arise and majority of its stalwarts. The major pillars had all defected to the ruling APC or the nascent ADC. All he appears able to showcase is the weight of his personality. But this is not enough. He has never been in public office. He is relatively unknown outside the party. Oluyede however vows to “reclaim the glory of Ekiti” with promises of Inclusivity & Transparency; Economic Reforms that would boost the state’s internal revenue; and infrastructure improvement.
Similarly, Dare Bejide, a former ambassador of Nigeria to Canada and a former Secretary to Ekiti State Government, pledges to improve living conditions for residents if elected in the 2026 governorship election. According to him, his administration would be guided by fairness, inclusion and policies that directly impact the lives of the people. He promises to tackle unemployment, unstable power supply and infrastructure gaps as a means of kickstarting economic growth and improving living standards in the state.
Both Oluyede and Bejide are touting the so called Ekiti South Agenda. While Oluyede is from Ikere Ekiti, Bejide hails from Ilawe Ekiti. Both towns are in Ekiti South Senatorial district which is yet to produce a governor since the advent of present democracy in Ekiti, in 1999. But I dare say this has not been an issue in Ekiti politics. We have a fairly literate and well informed electorate that will never vote on narrow primordial sentiments. Ekiti would rather vote a competent candidate outside sentimental considerations.
Unlike his rivals, BAO has a number of things working for him which would ensure the second term victory come June 20. He has the power of incumbency; not in any negative way, but a positive showcase of what he has done in almost four years. According to him, “this is not a campaign of promises, but that of accountability and score card assessment. We will show the people how far we have gone with the delivery of our promises made in 2022. Our performance is our campaign. All we need is let people see and decide for the good works to continue”. This is not self-aggrandizement. Rather, the facts are there for all to see. Truly, BAO indeed has something to show for his three years in the saddle. He came in on the mantra of six pillars of his administration as roadmap for Ekiti State’s development and he has delivered beautifully on all fronts. The Roadmap is captured in two words: “Shared Prosperity”.
Without mincing words, the government of Oyebanji had done well in all pillars. This has been widely recognized within and outside the state. For his performance, Governor BAO has been awarded several accolades from across the length and breadth of the Media, Civil Society Organizations and other bodies. According to a newspaper report, “under BAO, through these six strategic pillars, the State has not only witnessed infrastructural and economic transformation but has also laid the foundation for enduring development in the trajectory towards the ‘shared prosperity’ mantra”.
Through performance, BAO had made the campaign of other contestants difficult. As things stand in Ekiti today, some issues cannot be effectively used for campaign. It will be an uphill task for the opposition to use infrastructure as an issue. Roads have been and are being constructed across the length and breadth of Ekiti. Electricity becomes a non-issue to dangle before the electorate. There were communities that have been deprived for decades that now “see light” in the last three years. The education sector has been receiving attention more than ever before. Same goes for the health sector. Hospitals have been renovated, well-staffed and properly equipped. The state can boast of not less than four tertiary hospitals besides a number of Specialist and referral facilities.
BAO had put Ekiti State on the Aviation map of the world by completing the Ekiti Cargo Airport. This was a legacy project of his predecessor, Kayode Fayemi. BAO demonstrated the beauty of continuity by channeling huge resources to make the Airport functional in line with his predecessor’s vision. Flying in and out of Ekiti is now routine. Nobody needs go to other states to catch a flight. Of course, BAO has his own legacy projects in the state, foremost among which are the Second Ado-Ekiti Fly Over and the ongoing construction of Ado-Ekiti Central Business District as well as the Ring Road.
In governance, under Oyebanji, we have a contented public service. Ekiti is among the first few states to adopt and pay the current minimum wage of Seventy thousand Naira. In the Southwest, it is said that Ekiti pays the best wage after Lagos. Besides this, welfare packages like Loan facilities had received a boost while all promotions due as at 2025 had been effected. The Local Government staff are also not left out. They receive the same atention as their counterparts in the state service. Their system have seen a few reforms boosting career advancement for staff. The pensioners are also not left out as billions of Naira had consistently been channelled into payment of monthly pension and arrears of gratuity.
Governor Oyebanji had also employed close to 10,000 personnel into the state public service covering the Civil Service and Teaching and non-teaching staff in secondary and primary schools. This is the highest figure ever employed since state creation in 1996, the closest being Segun Oni’s four thousand figure in 2008. In Ekiti today, the labour unions have nothing to fight against. Actually and quite unlike them, they are among those on the frontier shouting, “LET THE GOOD WORKS CONTINUE”.
Another thing working for Oyebanji is his rapport with all past governors of the state in all political fronts. All the former governors are backing him. How he got all of them to back him has been analyzed earlier on these pages, (Google Oyebanji, the Homo Pacificus of Ekiti). The list includes Otunba Niyi Adebayo, Kayode Fayemi, of APC and Ayo Fayose and Segun Oni of PDP. Those who contested against him in 2022 are with him now. The importance of these political heavy weights cannot be waved aside. They are the ones mounting the podium, (physically and figuratively), campaigning for Oyebanji. He also has the support of the body of elders that fought for the creation of the state. It will be recalled that he served that body in his twenties as the secretary.
Coupled with these is a gathering of virtually every segment of society running around, on their own, canvassing for the governor. His co-alumni from the Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti pulled their resources together to purchase the nomination form for him. The Iyalojas, student bodies, drivers, artesans and elites (including those in diaspora) have thrown their weight behind him. It is significant to note that those BAO should be pleading with to vote for him are the ones tasking themselves to support him. While other contestants are wooing various bodies to support them, it is those bodies pleading with BAO shouting “allow us to support you” so that the good works can continue. At the last count, there were more than one hundred independent groups volunteering their support for the Governor.
As things stand now, the choice before Ekiti is simple. It is a choice between pedigree and stories; between landmarks and rhetoric; between tangible score card and promises; between mass support movement and canvassers; between a well-oiled party machine and crises-ridden parties; between a tested and trusted leader and the unknowns; and between a BAO backed by an army of Ekiti bigwigs against feather weight contestants trying to cut their political milk teeth. Will Ekiti vote for a promised eldorado or vote on the side of continuity to LET THE GOOD WORKS CONTINUE? The choice is obvious and not difficult. June 20 is the date.
Ọmọọba Olusesan Alabi writes from Osi Ekiti.
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