Ahead of the 2019 general elections holding at the weekend, ALO ABIOLA writes on parties, candidates and the factors that will determine the winners of the polls in Ekiti State.
All is now set for the much anticipated 2019 general elections across the country and it is no different in Ekiti State. Though there will not be the governorship election in Ekiti State, political parties, their candidates and supporters are seriously preparing for the presidential, national and state assemblies elections.
The governorship election, won by the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, was held on July 14, 2018, as such, the people of the state will only go to the poll to vote for their choice presidential candidate and their state and federal lawmakers.
Preparations for the election started almost two years ago, with aspirants registering their intentions to contest the polls. Shadow elections were held last year by the political parties to elect their candidates for the polls.
Though there were pockets of controversies that trailed the primaries of the parties, just like what happened during the governorship primaries of the two major parties in the state, the APC and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) less popular political parties are not insulated from post-primary crises.
They had, however, put all of that behind them and closed ranks to have a successful outing in the impending polls.
Although, there were no pronounced campaign rallies by the parties and the candidates, they make do with jingles on radio and television stations, in addition to their foot soldiers engaging in house-to-house and ward toward campaigns.
The candidates of same party are also seen moving their campaign trains together to the communities, under their constituencies to canvass for votes.
The political gladiators in the state have continued to deploy energy and resources to boost the chances of their parties in the election.
Arguably, the two leading political parties in the contests are the PDP and that ruling APC.
No doubt, the APC and the PDP have more reach, presence, structures, resources, manpower and members in all the 16 local government areas of the state than other political parties.
Ekiti State also has a history of voting the candidates of the party in power at the state level during general elections since its creation over 20 years ago.
What is on the lips of analysts and watchers of political events in the state about the election is , would such count in the coming election and history repeating itself?
Going by the list of party candidates released by the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) for the election, no fewer than 17 political parties were cleared to participate in the general elections in Ekiti.
Some 68 candidates across the parties were also listed by the electoral body to contest for seats at the Senate and the House of Representatives in Ekiti state.
Of all the parties cleared for the election, only the APC, PDP, African Democratic Congress, (ADC); and Peoples Party of Nigeria, (PPN), presented candidates for all the nine available National Assembly seats to be contested for in the state.
Other parties with the number of their candidates in the election are, Young Democratic Party, (YDP), five; Labour Party, (LP), four; MPN 4, DA 3, PT 3, DPP 3, NAC 2, ASD 2, ID 1, NPC 1, JMPP 1, KP 1 and NLDP 1.
Parties like APDA, SDP, Accord and PANDEL that had renowned candidates during the July 14, governorship election in the state have no candidates for the polls.
In Ekiti North senatorial district, the candidates for the election are: Babalola Femi, ADC; Adetunmbi Olubunmi, APC; Sunday Afolabi, DA; Ademola Bimbo, DPP; Lawrence Arise, MPN; Faseyi Duro, PDP; Oni Oluwatosin, YDP and Oluwole Ibrahim, PPN.
Leading the pack in Ekiti Central senatorial district is Babalola Afolayan, ADC. Others include: Bamidele Opeyemi, APC; Oluwafemi Abiodun, DA; Irewole Tosin, DPP; Adeniyi Adekunle, LP; Ashaolu Olufemi, MPN; Adewale Obafemi, PDP; Falade Adewale, PPN; Foluso Festus, PT; and Akinola Adams, YDP.
For Ekiti South senatorial districts, the following are testing their might: Falade Akintayo, ADC; Adeyeye Adedayo, APC; Ayodele Olaide, ASD; Agboola Tunde, DA; Ayodele Tolulope, LP; Akingbade Kolawole, NAC; Kehinde Abayomi, NPC; Olujimi Biodun, PDP; and Bola Adeyina, PPN.
The three senatorial districts spread across the 16 local government areas of the state, with 177 wards and 2,195 polling units in the state.
Ekiti North and Ekiti Central have five local government areas each while Ekiti South has six local government areas.
The local government areas in Ekiti North are Moba (11 wards); Ido/Osi, (11 wards); Ilejemeje (10 wards); Oye (12 wards); and Ikole (12 wards).
In Ekiti Central, there are Ado (13 wards;, Irepodun/Ifelodun (11 wards); Ekiti West (11 wards); Ijero (12 wards); and Efon (10 wards).
Ekiti South is made up of Ekiti South West (11 wards); Ikere (11 wards); Ise/Orun (10 wards); Emure (10 wards); Gbonyin (10 wards); and Ekiti East (12 wards).
Total number of registered voters in the state is 913,334, but according to INEC, only 630,000 have collected their Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs.
Factors that may favour the contending parties in the election include: the candidate’s personality and acceptability, party strength, support of critical segments of the population, policies of the government in power, manifestos of the parties and the party’s financial power.
Ekiti Central
Ado Local Government
In Ado Local Government Area, it will be a battle royale between the two running mates of the two leading parties in the state: 74-year old former local government chairman and incumbent deputy governor, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi, who will be holding forth for APC and Prof Kolapo Olusola’s running mate in the July 14, 2018 gubernatorial election, Mr Kazeem Ogunsakin, who will want to win the state capital for his party, the PDP.
The political stand of the House of Assembly member representing Ado state constituency 1 and 2, Hon Musa Arogundade and Hon Tope Fasanmi respectively cannot at the moment be ascertained due to the recent situation at Assembly.
Other who could mobilize votes for APC candidates in the state capital are: former deputy governor, Prof. Modupe Adelabu; presidential aide, Senator Babafemi Ojudu; former commissioner, Alhaji Ayodele Jinadu; oil magnate, Chief Remi Oguntuase; former presidential aide, Mr. Bodunde Adeyanju.
Irepodun/Ifelodun
It will be a fierce battle between the immediate past governor of the state, Mr Ayodele Fayose, the APC National Vice Chairman South and former Governor Adeniyi Adebayo and Bamidele, the APC senatorial candidate. But considering that even as incumbent governor, Fayose lost the local government to the APC, the same might recur in the forthcoming election.
Ekiti West
Top PDP stalwarts in the local government include: Fayose’s media assistant, Lere Olayinka; House of Assembly member, Sina Animasaun; former Deputy Speaker, Olusegun Adewumi; and former Commissioner for Agriculture, Kehinde Odebunmi.
For the APC, former state chairman of the party, Chief Olajide Awe; former lawmakers, Mr. Gbenga Odebunmi and Mr. Kayode Fasakin; an APC House of Assembly candidate, Mr. Tajudeen Akingbolu; and the state Attorney General, Mr. Wale Fapohunda will stand up for the party during the polls
Efon
The Director-General of Kolapo Olusola Campaign Organisation, Chief Bisi Kolawole; who is also a House of Representatives’ candidate in the area and member of the state House of Assembly, Mr. Afolabi Akanni would want to ensure victory for PDP.
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However, they would be checkmated by APC stalwarts in the council, who include a former Executive Secretary of Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency/Petroleum Technology Development Fund, Dr. Oluwole Oluleye; a former Deputy Speaker, state House of Assembly, Mr. Oladapo Karonwi.
Ijero
Former House of Assembly Majority Leader, Mr. Lai Oke, and the party’s Women Leader, Mrs. Yemisi Afolabi are leading PDP chieftains in Ijero while former House of Assembly member and now House of Representatives candidate, Mrs. Omowumi Ogunlola, and a former governorship aspirant, Mr. Kayode Ojo, are there to lead the battle for the APC.
Ekiti South
Ikere
Five governorship aspirants: Dr. Wole Oluyede, Chief Sesan Fatoba, Mr. Kola Alabi, Mr. Funminiyi Afuye and Mr. Muyiwa Olumilua are to lead the APC struggle for votes in the local government.
A former governor of old Ondo State, Bamidele Olumilua, and a House of Assembly member, Mr. Sunday Akinniyi, are also there for the ruling party.
The former deputy governor and the PDP governorship candidate, in the July 14, 2018 governorship poll, Prof Olusola; House of Assembly member representing Ikere state constituency 1, Mr. Wale Ayeni; and Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs. Olayinka Ogundayomi are PDP power horses.
Ekiti South West
APC will be banking on Fayemi’s former Chief of Staff and now House of Representatives’ candidate of the party, Yemi Adaramodu; former lawmaker, Tope Agidi; and many other stalwarts of the party to emerge victorious in the local government.
For the PDP, the former chairman of the local government, Mr. Lanre Omolase; House of Assembly member for Ekiti South West state constituency 1; Mr. Wale Onigiobi; House of Assembly member and former Commissioner for Education, Mr. Jide Egunjobi, will carry the battle axe for the opposition party.
Emure
The only notable PDP stalwart from the local government is former Attorney General of the state, Mr. Kolapo Kolade, who is expected to lead the battle for the party in the local council.
The APC, however, has former commissioners: Chief Dele Okeya and Mr. Debo Ajayi, among its leading forces; while former Minister of State for Works, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, who is the APC senatorial candidate for the district, will spread his tentacles to the council to ensure victory for all his party candidates.
Ise/Orun
Adeyeye will be leading the APC fight in the council, alongside former Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Chief Afolabi Ojuawo; a former Attorney General of the state, Mr. Owoseni Ajayi, and Speaker of Ekiti State House Assembly, Rt Hon. Adeniran Alagbada.
Unfortunately, PDP may be without a leader they can call their own in the local council, since majority of the aforementioned dumped the party for APC shortly before last year’s governorship election in the state.
Gbonyin
Former acting Governor/Speaker, Mr. Olatunji Odeyemi; House of Representatives member representing Gbonyin/Emure/Ekiti East federal constituency, Mr. Akin Awodumila; council chairperson, Mrs. Sade Akinrinmola, Mr. Tope Ogidi, and a lawmaker, Mr. Ayodele Fajemilehin will be standing in the gap for the PDP
The APC will be able represented by former Senate Minority Whip, Senator Gbenga Aluko; a former House of Representatives member and a Deputy Director-General of Fayemi Campaign, Mr. Bamidele Faparusi.
Ekiti East
Leading the PDP battle in this local council are Senator Biodun Olujimi, who is seeking reelection; House of Assembly member for Ekiti East state constituency 1, Mr. Ojo Ade Fajana; House of Assembly member for Ekiti East constituency 2, Mr. Dare Pelemo; and former Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Mr. Taelolu Otitoju.
The APC leaders in the area who would want to deliver the goods for their party in the electioninclude: a former Speaker, Mr. Femi Bamisile, who is one of the party’s House of Representatives’ candidates, a former commissioner, Mr. Apalara Wole-Adewumi; and a former lawmaker/council chairman, Mr. Rotimi Ajidara.
Ekiti North
Ido/Osi
Though not much is known presently about the relationship between the former governor of the state and former Deputy National Chairman, South of the APC, Segun Oni and APC in the state, the party also has its senatorial candidate in Senator Adetunmbi Bunmi, who is Oni’s kinsmen, to leat the quest for votes and victory in the coming election.
But the PDP has its leaders in the former Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Dr. Modupe Alade; House of Representatives member for Ido/Osi/Moba/Ilejemeje federal constituency, Mr. Thaddeus Aina; House of Assembly member for Ido/Osi state constituencies 1 and 2; Hons Jacob Olayode and Abiola Jeje, respectively; and former Commissioner for Works, Mrs. Funmilayo Ogun.
Moba
PDP will be relying on the former Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mr. Kola Oluwawole; House of Assembly member for Moba state constituency 2, Hon Badejo Anifowose and former Commissioner for Information, Mr. Lanre Ogunsuyi, to deliver the local government area for the party’s candidates.
Leading the APC onslaught are: a former House of Assembly member Hon Olajide Olaniyi; a former Moba Local Government Area chairman, Hon David Olusoga; a former Senior Special Assistant to Fayemi on Legal Matters and now party House of Representatives’ candidate, Mr. Ibrahim Olanrewaju.
Ilejemeje
The senator representing Ekiti North, Duro Faseyi, will stand as the symbol of the PDP leadership in the council; even though where the member of the House of Assembly for Ilejemeje state constituency, Hon Cecilia Dada, stands now cannot be immediately ascertained and former local government chairman, Mr. Ebenezer Oladipupo.
For APC, an Afenifere leader and Second Republic senator, Chief Ayo Fasanmi; a former lawmaker, Mr. Segun Erinle; a former local government chairman, Prince Adegoroye Bamigboye; and a former commissioner, Mr. Folorunso Olabode will lead voters; mobilization for the party in the polls.
Ikole
A former Deputy Governor, Chief Paul Alabi, and House of Representatives member, Mr. Kehinde Agboola, former House of Assembly Majority Leader, Hon Lai Oke, and the party’s Women Leader, Mrs. Yemisi Afolabi, are expected to lead the PDP scramble for votes in the area.
House of Assembly Business Leader, Chief Gboyega Aribisogan; a former lawmaker, Chief Adebayo Morakinyo, and a former Civil Service Commission Chairman, Alhaji Afolabi Ogunlayi will be standing in the gap for APC.
Oye
Governor Fayemi will want to do all he could to win the local government for the party and all its candidates. Senator Ayo Arise; a former House of Representatives member, Mr. Bimbo Daramola; a former lawmaker, Mr. Sunday Adunmo; and a former Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Dr. Gani Owolabi are also from the local government, will be in the forefront of the battle for the ruling APC.
House of Assembly members representing Oye state constituency 1 and 2, Hon Samuel Omotoso and Hon Tunji Akinyele; and Oye Local Government Chairman, Mr. Sunday Alonge are in the council for the PDP.
The major challenge however is the large numbers of unclaimed PVCs that are still with INEC.
The INEC boss in the state, Prof Abdulganiy Raji had at a stakeholders meeting held in Ado Ekiti raised the alarm that a total of 256,648 registered voters are yet to collect their PVCs in Ekiti out of a total registered voters of 921, 027 in the state.
Surely the battle ahead will be titanic, but if antecedents are to be followed, then one can safely say that the APC will cruise to victory in the coming elections, especially against the background of the ruling of the election petition tribunal which affirmed Kayode Fayemi’s election as governor of the state.
