|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
As the Ekiti gubernatorial election draws nearer and ahead of the All Progressive Congress (APC) primary on May 5th, INIOBONG IWOK examines the profiles of some of the major candidates and their chances of clinching the APC ticket.
Sunday Adebomi
Adebomi is a United States Army officer, who recently defected from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) after falling out with the incumbent Governor Ayodele Fayose’s over his leadership style.
A native of Ise-Ekiti, where he grew up, Adebomi is relatively new in the political circle in the state, but he was one of the politicians that worked for Fayose’s stunning electoral victory over former Governor Kayode Fayemi in 2014.
He recently said his sojourn into politics was to champion the cause of the youth and advocate for issues that affect them. He challenged the youth to be more politically conscious, aspire for elective positions and redirect their focus.
However, political observers are of the opinion that he does not have the political clout to clinch the APC ticket.
Some analysts believe that his interest in the governorship position is just to seek more political relevance, while using it as a bargaining chip for lesser position and appointment after the election.
Gbenga Aluko
Gbenga Aluko was born in 1963 to the late prominent economics scholar, Professor Sam Aluko.
He contested for the Senatorial position of Ekiti South on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and was sworn in as a senator at the start of the Fourth Republic in 1999. He was a former chief whip of the Senate.
He attended Federal Government College, Ilorin and the University of Benin where he graduated with a degree in Geography and Regional Planning.
He also went to College of Energy and Petroleum, Oxford, England, for post graduate studies in Petroleum International Oil Trading and Pricing.
He also served as chairman of the Senate committee on selection, senate services, aviation, women affairs, finance and appropriation, social development and sports and later local and foreign debt.
In 2002, he seconded a motion which set up an ad-hoc committee that probed alleged constitutional and budgetary breaches against the then president Olusegun Obasanjo.
Aluko left the PDP and joined the Labour Party where he contested the 2007 governorship election.
Having eyed the governorship seat for long, his entrance into the race this time around was expected.
He recently said that out of the governorship aspirants, he was the only one who had contributed and empowered the people of Ekiti State through his industry which had employed thousands of Ekiti indigenes.
Political watchers in the state are of the opinion that Aluko is not a serious candidate and that his chances of clinching the ticket were very remote.
They claim that he lacks the political clout and grassroots support to challenge or defeat Fayose’s anointed candidate in the governorship election even if he is given the APC ticket on a platter of gold.
Babafemi Ojudu
Ojudu was born in 1961 and attended Ado-Ekiti Grammar School and the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) where he studied English and graduated in 1984.
He subsequently bagged a Master’s degree in political science from the University of Lagos in 1986.
Ojudu, a veteran journalist, started his Journalism career with the Guardian in 1984 as reporter; he also worked with the African Concord as a staff writer and later managing editor.
Ojudu fought the various military regimes and exposed their various shady deals, especially the Abacha regime and subsequently he was arrested, tortured and imprisoned on various occasions.
In 2011, he ran for the senatorial seat of Ekiti Central constituency on the platform of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) after a prolonged legal battle with the incumbent Senator Festus Bode Ola, he defeated Ayodele Fayose who contested on the Labour Party (LP) platform and Kayode Alufa of the PDP.
He was appointed as Special Adviser to President Muhmmadu Buhari on political matters in 2016.
Ojudu is seen as one of the strongest contenders for the APC ticket, based on his affinity with the federal might and his closeness to the national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, with whom he has worked in various capacities.
He recently said while declaring for the governorship, that he holds the secret to defeating incumbent Governor Ayodele Fayose, having defeated him before in the Senatorial election.
Ojudu boasted that he would defeat any anointed candidate of Fayose.
However, experts say Ojudu seems detached from the grassroots and people, especially those in his constituency.
He is been accused of not doing enough for his constituency as Senator, and he is being tagged a ‘Lagos Politician’.
However, analysts strongly believe that his picking the governorship ticket depends on whose camp he belongs in the APC.
Segun Oni
Segun Oni was born in Ifaki-Ekiti in 1954. In 2007 April he was elected governor of the state, while he was removed from office in controversial circumstances in October 2010 after judgment of the Appeal Court which ruled against him after the election was challenged by the candidate of the then Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) Kayode Fayemi.
Oni attended Methodist Modern Secondary School, Ifaki Ekiti and Wesley College Ibadan and studied Engineering at the Obafemi Awolowo University, (OAU).
In 2014, he joined as one of the founding members of the APC and presently he is the party’s South-West vice chairman.
Oni is seen as a strong contender for the APC ticket having ruled the state and has wide grassroots support across Ekiti.
Political observers are of the opinion that having been the national vice chairman of the party southwest, Oni may use his position to influence delegates in his favour.
He is seen as the most likely candidate who can challenge Fayose’s grassroots popularity in the state and is very close to the national leadership of the party.
Speaking recently, Oni debunked insinuations that he may dump the APC for the Social Democratic Party (SDP) to actualise his governorship ambition, noting that he was the only candidate of the APC who understands the political terrain of the state,
Kayode Fayemi
Fayemi is currently the minister of Solid Minerals Development and a former governor of Ekiti State, sworn into office in October 2010.
He had his first degree and Master’s degree from the University of Lagos and Obafemi Awolowo University, in History, Politics and International Relations.
He has a doctorate in War Studies from the Kings College University of London, England.
He attended Christ’s Schools, Ado-Ekiti and
served as director of Centre for Democracy and Development; prior to that he had worked as journalist, lecturer, researcher and strategy development adviser in Nigeria and the United Nations.
Fayemi ran for the governorship of the state on the platform of the defunct Action Congress Nigeria (ACN) and after three years of legal battle he won in the Appeal Court sitting in Kwara State that declared him duly elected.
His campaign marked the end of Segun Oni’s administration as the governor of the state.
However, Fayemi’s four years administration in Ekiti was marred by alleged unpopular policies; he was accused of being detached from the populace, while running and elitist administration.
He subsequently lost the 2015 governorship election in the state to incumbent governor Ayodele Fayose.
Fayemi is seen as a strong contender for the APC ticket due to his strong political links with the presidency. He is in a close relationship with President Muhammadu Buhari which may work in his favour.
Fayemi’s entrance into the governorship race was expected. However, experts are of the view that Fayemi may not get the party ticket because he appears detached from the masses and the grassroots which is on the other hand the selling point of Fayose and his anointed candidate.
Fayemi’s alleged current cold war with the national leader of the APC, Tinubu, may also work against him at the primary.
Speaking recently while declaring in the state capital, Ado-Ekiti, the minister, said his administration in his first journey was able to transform the infrastructure, increase internally generated revenue, promising to industrialise Ekiti if re-elected.
Opeyemi Bamidele
Bamidele was born in July 29, 1973 at Iyin-Ekiti. He spent most of his early years in Lagos State and attended the Obafemi Awolowo University and the University of Benin where he graduated with a degree in Law in 1990 and later called to the Nigerian Bar after graduating from the Nigerian Law School in 1992.
He contested for the primaries of the House Representatives on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and lost in 1993.
He was later appointed the special assistant on political masters and later as the commissioner for youths, sports and social development in the Tinubu’s administration.
He was elected as a member of the House of Representatives on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in 2011.
He fell out with Tinubu, his political godfather, and joined the opposition party.
Bamidele contested the governorship of Ekiti State in 2014 on the platform of the Labour Party (LP) where he was perceived to have played the role of a ‘spoiler’ for the then governor and candidate of APC, Kayode Fayemi.
Declaring recently in the state capital, he promised to liberate Ekiti State from under-development and poverty, stressing that he would run people-centred policies.
Bamidele is not seen as a serious candidate. His perceived ‘spoiler’ role in the 2014 governorship election may come back to haunt him.
His chances of clinching the APC ticket appear slim as he does not seem to have the needed grassroots popularity to challenge the ruling PDP should he scale the primary hurdle in the APC.
Bimbo Daramola
Daramola started his primary education at Anglican Primary School and also attended Saint Joseph Primary School, Aramoko Ekiti, finishing in1973, while his secondary education was at Christ School Ado-Ekiti.
In 1984, he gained admission to study Geology at the then Ondo State University, which later changed to Ekiti State University; graduated in 1989.
Daramola obtained his Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Ilorin in 1995.
An entrepreneur, he worked in several companies and later co-founded Rucie Communications where he later became deputy managing director.
In 2011, he was chosen as the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) candidate for the House of Representatives position for Ekiti North 1, Oyin-Ikole Local Government Area which he won, and served till 2015, on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).
Daramola served as the vice chairman of the House committee on Millennium Development Goals, (MDGs) and was a member of several other committees.
He headed the committee which probed the allocation of plot of land in the Federal Capital Territory to individuals and companies and possible cause of fraud.
Daramola has been a vocal voice in Ekiti; he had consistently challenged the Ayodele Fayose’s administration and his policies and commands high popularity among the grassroots, especially the youth.
However, political observers see him as not popular enough and lacking the political structure and stature to challenge and defeat the Fayose-led PDP in the state.
His entrance into the governorship race is seen as a means of gaining more popularity and a bargaining chip for other lesser political position.
Bamidele Faparusi
Faparusi was a member of the House of Representatives between 2011 and 2015.
He is an entrepreneur, engineer and business man.
Faparusi has always been a strong advocate of restructuring of the country; he said it would be hypocritical for the APC to ignore zoning in selecting candidate for the governorship position.
Speaking recently on his governorship ambition, Faparusi promised to provide purposeful leadership in the state, stressing that he was among the few politicians who understand the need of Ekiti indigenes.
He also recently reaffirmed his confidence in the APC to conduct a credible governorship primary election in the state.
However, Faparusi is not being seen as a serious candidate as observers claim that he lacks the popularity and political structure to win the governorships election.
Though, a grassroots politician, observers view his governorship ambition as largely to seek political relevance, while using it as a bargain for position in the APC.
Femi Bamisile
Femi Bamisile was a former speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly. He is a grassroots politician, who understands the political terrain of Ekiti State.
Speaking recently on his ambition, Bamisile said he was not afraid of federal might or politicians who were former members of the House of Representatives or senators.
He promised to alleviate poverty and industrialise the state if elected in office.
He is very optimistic that he will get about 1,500 votes of the delegates that would vote in the primary, stressing that he was confident he would clinch the APC ticket.
Bamisile could spring surprise in the primaries, he is grass root politician who seem to understand the political terrain of the state.
However, what may work against him is his lack of federal support; he is not close to leadership of the APC.
