Ekiti elders would say, "when a child is out cutting down a tree; the elders would stand afar watching the direction the tree would fall".
Ekiti state is a politically concious state. Politics runs deep in the veins of an average Ekiti person, either man, woman, young or aged.
There is presently a calm which to those in the scheme of things within the political circle of Ekiti, is a prelude to a coming storm.
The problem is simply the high headedness and winner takes it all attitude of the present Governor of Ekiti State and his henchmen.
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Background.
It's no news that BAO is the governor of Ekiti State, neither is it news that JKF and Erelu Bisi Fayemi picked him as the annoited one to succeed him as Governor over better qualified and able candidates.
As a natural Ekiti attribute, consultations were made concerning the top three major contenders for the converted seat of Governor.
They are; Micheal Opeyemi Bamidele, Yemi Adaramodu and Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji.
The odds favoured Adaramodu, the candidate was said would be fair to the people and the party, that there would be relative peace and progress, that the candidate would serve two terms and would hand over to a person who would be from his own party.
Next favourable candidate was MOB, he was also predicted to be a candidate that would be fair to the people, the party and would make Ekiti prosperous and at peace. He was seen not to seek second term but would hand over to a candidate from his party.
Least favorable on the list was BAO. He was seen to be a candidate that the party would enjoy his reign for only a year. He was seen to be a candidate the would be double faced, he was seen to be a candidate that would turn against all those who helped him to get into power, he was seen to be power hungry and a man that would divide the APC in Ekiti State.
It was predicted that after the first one year, the following three years of BAO would be of regrets for all Ekiti APC members.
It was predicted that his party would work against him, that he would not serve a second term, that his party would work for another candidate from another party to win the elections so as to push him out.
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As it stands
That BAO is double faced is now obvious to all. While he goes about the nooks and corners of Ekiti land playing draft, chatting with Okada riders and making promises at burnt down beer parlours, his henchmen led by his own very blood brother, Lekan Oyebanji (who is known in Government inner circle as the vice Governor), carries on the agenda to take over Ekiti political structure from all notable APC leaders, especially JKF.
The kitchen cabinet of BAO comprises of Alaba Bejide, Jide Awe, Lekan Oyebanji, Olatunbosun, Eyesewa Aluko, Dapo Karounwi Paul Omotosho, Folorunsho Olabode (Mayegun), Olubunmi Adetunmbi*...these are the ones out to outdo and erase anything Fayemi from Ekiti political landscape.
They first bear their fangs when the list for the transition committee members was being compiled, they made sure all non BAO loyalist did not made the list, then, they dug deeper during the House of Assembly elections, and again during the selections of the principal officers of the present Ekiti House of Assembly; it's Worthy to note how first timers in the House got elected to be principal officers over second term members!
Again, we are witnesses to the ongoing fiasco over the Chairmanship and councillorship candidates nomination and selections across Ekiti State, the BAO cabal have now openly shown the agenda to run JKF and his structure out of town.
The matra now is *"No to Fayemi, no non BAO loyalist gets anything"*, It even gets more interesting when you hear a PDP apologist like Jide Awe openly saying *"Fayemi offended me, I cannot forgive him"*, Jide Awe is quick to forget that it was this very Fayemi who saved him from Fayose who almost sent him on a very long jail term over a set up murder case and was declared wanted.
Ekiti for the very first time in our political history is witnessing a sitting Governor doing more for the opposing political parties than his own party.
The APC faithfuls in Ekiti are all in shock as they witness their Governor favoring the PDP and SDP with monetary gifts, *(former Governor Fayose gets N10m monthly, while Lere Olayinka gets N400k and others, from BAO)*, political appointment's and a relentless and continuous veneration of past opposition Governor's over our own leaders who were former governor's.
We only see BAO smiling with our leaders in front of pressmen, it's always during photo ops that we see BAO praise APC party leaders. Behind the scene, there is a total disregard for everything and anything APC.
No one is respected, from the polling units, our wards, the various levels of Executives from the lowest to the state are all now treated as interlopers and leprous off shoots by the all knowing, ever righteous BAO and his kitchen cabinet.
To those who do not know, we know the struggle is all about who controls the resources of Ekiti; Lekan oyebanji and Dapo Karonwi already are in control of the incoming LGA/LCDA chairmen and women, we know they are already the group admin for the vague WhatsApp group for the incoming Council heads since they are all stooge's; we know of the various contracts for borehole to be dug in each of the 38 council's in Ekiti to be handled by Lekan and Jide Awe, each bore hole is to cost N10Mn!;
We know of the agreement by each of the Council heads to pay N2.5Mn every month to a dedicated account for the 2nd term ambition of BAO, this is part of the agreement for them to be given the ticket and one of the reasons BAO is rejecting some council heads who had done well second term tickets, since they know they cannot control them.
We know of the all out war to dismantle JKF structure (the very structure that brought BAO into office), just because of the blind envy, hatreds, jealousy and pull-him-down attitude of some of BAOs kitchen cabinet members purposely led by Jide Awe.
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*JKF As An Enigma:*
A few days back, Ekiti would have gone up in flames just the way Rivers State was engulfed in a blasing crises.
Nyesom Wike the immediate Governor of Rivers State was being given the same treatment JKF is being served. Wike came out to stamp is authority as the one who owns and still controls the structure that brought the governor into office.
The Rivers State House of Assembly complex got burnt down during the crises which lasted for just a few hours.
Wike sent the message out and all parties involved got it loud and clear who is Boss.
Why JKF would sit quietly and watch as political appointments and elective positions are being doled out without any regard for him as the immediate Governor and the very person who made BAO governor is shocking and a puzzle.
How can JKF allow his authority to wane just like that under 365 days? For a double faced individual like Jide Awe and an old greedy man like Alaba Bejide would now trump him in the chest and he is doing nothing is baffling.
That JKF would keep silent in the face of all these continuous and relentless assault on his authority is not golden.
That JKF would keep silent when all his die-hard loyalists are being systematically eliminated politically is not golden.
That JKF would remain silent while his political structure is being pulled down block by block is not golden.
That JKF would keep silent while APC faithfuls, male, female, young and old are being staved while the oppositions who would do everything to see our party fail and lose power to them are feeding fat is not golden.
That JKF would keep silent while those who had work and laboured and stood firm while our party was in the wilderness are now being denied their rights to get political appointment's and other benefits now that we are in power, is not golden.
Yes, JKF is a man of few words, yes, JKF is a leader with a desposition of a cultured, refined and learned leader, but, JKF remains a politician and politics is about standing firmly for what one believes in. Politics is all about being a leader to those who believes in ones ability to lead.
A good leader must do all he can for the benefit of his followers.
Ekiti APC knows Otunba Niyi Adebayo and John Kayode Fayemi as leaders not BAO, not yet, BAO still needs to cut his teeth, but just like the dog who would get lost because it fails to heed the call of the hunter, BAO and his henchmen are bound to fail.
This is to call on JKF to stand up for what is right, expedient and necessary for our party ( the APC in Ekiti State), for our struggle to make our party win and to continue to win, for our rights and benefits, for JKF structure all over Ekiti State, for the future of our party (so that we do not wait doing nothing while the predicted fall of our party due to inaction from JKF and wrong actions from these ungrateful ones), make us lose everything come election year 2027.
JKF silence is a clear and present danger to us all.
Elder Lawal Adedayo Kunle.
Chairman,
Concerned Ekiti APC Elders, Ado Ekiti,
Ekiti State.
November, 2023.
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