Ahead of the Ekiti governorship election slated for June 18th, 2022, political parties in the ‘Fountain of Knowledge’ have held their primary elections and candidates have emerged. The two major political parties in the state: the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had their candidates generating more talks and discussions since their emergence.
While a former member of the state’s House of Assembly who also served as Commissioner for Environment, Bisi Kolawole, got the ticket of PDP, another former Commissioner (for Budget and Planning) who equally served as Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Biodun Oyebanji, clinched the APC ticket.
Bisi Kolawole was announced winner of the PDP Guber primaries Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State, who was the Chairman, Ekiti State PDP Gubernatorial Primary Election. He polled 671 votes while the closest to him was former Governor Segun Oni with 330 votes. Coming third was ex-Deputy Governor Prof. Olusola Eleka garnering 93 votes and Adewale Aribisala coming a distant fourth with 56 votes.
On his part, Biodun Oyabanji won the APC ticket in the primaries conducted by the Governor Mohammed Badaru of Jigawa State-led committee. The APC candidate scored 101,703 votes, while his challengers: Ojo Kayode had 767, Opeyemi Bamidele 760 and Dayo Adeyeye 691 votes. While the APC adopted the Direct mode of primary, PDP opted for the Indirect mode.
The two candidates (of APC and PDP) are both from the Ekiti Central Senatorial District of the state. Bisi Kolawole fondly called ‘Bisikay’, is a native of Efon-Alaye in Efon Local Government Area while Biodun Oyebanji, a.k.a ‘BAO’ hails from Ikogosi Ekiti in Ekiti West Local Government Area. Though these two major political parties have picked their candidates for the race but there is no gainsaying the fact that the June 2022 election promises to be an indirect show of wit between the incumbent, Dr. Kayode Fayemi and his predecessor, Ayo Fayose of the PDP. The two candidates (Biodun Oyebanji and Bisi Kolawole) are generally referred to and seeing as anointed candidates of their respective principals. This is as Fayemi and Fayose are believed to have worked assiduously behind the scene for the emergence of their ‘preferred’ or ‘anointed’ candidates for their respective parties. The two candidates have since received their Certificates of Return from their parties.
Before the emergence of Biodun Oyebanji (APC) and Bisi Kolawole (PDP), there was an agitation for the 2022 gubernatorial tickets to be zoned to the Ekiti South Senatorial District, irrespective of political affiliation. Going down the memory lane, it was gathered that since this political dispensation in 1999, the Ekiti South Senatorial District is yet to produce a substantive Governor apart from in a 3 month Acting capacity that saw a former Speaker of the State’s House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Olatunji Odeyemi. Odeyemi ran the affairs of the state during the re-run election between the incumbent governor, Dr. Kayode and former Governor Segun Oni, an aspirant in the recent PDP primaries in the state. But going by the outcome of the primaries, the next Governor is most likely coming from the Ekiti Central Senatorial Districts, same District that produced former Governors Niyi Adebayo and Ayo Fayose. The question on the lips of many political observers is: will there be third force political party in favour of the South in the June 2022 election. Ekiti State has 16 Local Government Areas, 26 State House of Assembly members, 6 Federal Constituencies and 3 Senatorial Districts. Each Senatorial District is made up of 5 Local Governments, expect south senatorial district which comprises of 6 Local Government Areas. Ekiti Central comprises of Ado Local Government Area, Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area, Ekiti West Local Government Area, Efon Local Government Area, and Ijero Local Government Area. Ekiti North is made up of: Ikole Local Government Area, Oye Local Government Area, Moba Local Government Area, Ido/Osi Local Government Area and Ilejemeje Local Government Area, while Ekiti South Senatorial District has 6 Local Government Areas (Ikere Ekiti, Emure Ekiti, Ise-Orun, Gboyin, Ekiti South West, and Ekiti East).
CHANCES AND STRENGTH
While almost 20 candidates will be contesting for the number one seat in the Fountain of Knowledge, for the purpose of this write up, however, attention will be on 2 candidates (APC & PDP) and the third force in the forthcoming governorship election. Apart from the fact that the two are the leading political parties in Nigeria, Biodun Oyebanji of APC and Bisi Kolawole of PDP, have been involved in Ekiti State politics in the last 2 decades and this to a large extent, is helpful of their causes/chances in the election.
Oyebanji who polled 101,703 votes to emerge the APC flag bearer at the party’s primaries, has served as a key aide to the first Executive Governor of the state, Otunba Niyi Adebayo (1999-2003). He later became the Chief of Staff (CoS) to Governor Adebayo. Also, he is the immediate past Secretary to the State Government (SSG) before resigning to join the governorship race. Before then, Oyebanji was Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning during the first stint of Governor Kayode Fayemi. Having served in key positions in the state, he is well prepared for the July the 18th race.
‘BAO’ as he is fondly called, Biodun Oyebanji will bank on the performance of his boss, Dr. Kayode Fayemi the outgoing Governor, and support of his party in other to defeat Bisi Kolawole of the PDP and the third force.
On his part, Bisi Kolawole has served as the Director General, Campaign Organisations of two former Governorship candidates in the state: Dayo Adeyeye (2014) and Professor Olusola Eleka (2018). Undoubtedly, this vital role as Campaign DG, exposed him and prepared him for the race. ‘Bisi Kay’ also served as Commissioner for Environment under the then Governor Fayose just as he was a state Lawmaker when Engineer Segun Oni was Governor. He represented the Efon Alaye state constituency in the Ekiti State House of Assembly. Again, he too will be banking on the performance of his party in the state (Segun Oni and Ayo Fayose’s administrations) coupled with the support of his boss, Ayo Fayose and other aspirants in the party’s last primaries to oust APC from the Ado Ekiti Governor’s Office and the third force.
Will there be a third force in the election? This is a big question begging for an answer. There are agitations that the Ekiti South Senatorial District should be given preference considering the fact that out of the 3 Senatorial Districts in the state, the Southern Senatorial District, despite its arrays of intellectuals and personalities, it has never produced a Governor. Another question is, which of the parties will likely emerge as the third force? The ADC has picked Dr. Wole Oluyede, a native of Ikere Ekiti as its candidate.
PROFILE OF HON. BIODUN OYEBANJI
Honourable Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji was born on December 21, 1967. He hails from Ikogosi-Ekiti. He began his academic journey at Baptist Primary School, Ikogosi-Ekiti. He attended Awo Community High School before transferring to C.A.C Grammar School, Efon-Alaaye, in 1979, and later attended the Federal School of Arts and Sciences, Ondo State, as well as the District Commercial Secondary School, Aramoko-Ekiti, from 1983 to 1985. He acquired a Bachelor of Science (BSc.) degree in Political Science from the then Ondo State University (now Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti) in 1989 and continued his quest for knowledge at the Premier university, the University of Ibadan (UI) in 1992, where he bagged a Masters’ Degree (M.Sc) in Political Science (International Relations & Strategic Studies). He started his professional career as a Lecturer at the Department of Political Science, University of Ado Ekiti, where he worked for four years (1993-1997) and later proceeded to work as Manager, Treasury, and Financial Service at the defunct Omega Bank Plc (now Heritage Bank) till May 1999. At age 32, he was one of the key aides to the first democratically elected Governor of Ekiti State, Otunba Niyi Adebayo. He was later to become the Chief of Staff (CoS) to the Governor. He is the immediate past Secretary to the State Government (SSG) before resigning to join the governorship race. Before then, he was Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning during Governor Kayode Fayemi’s first term. He is married to Professor (Mrs) Oyebanji, an Associate Professor at the University of Ibadan, who is also an Ado Ekiti Princess.
PROFILE OF HON. BISI KOLAWOLE
Honourable Bisi Kolawole was born on 20th September, 1956 in Ile Ife, Osun State, to Chief Ezekiel Kolawole of the Meyolanu Dynasty of Efon Alaaye. His mother is Mrs Alice Mojirola Kolawole, a native of Modakeke. He attended St. John’s Anglican Primary School, Efon-Alaaye after which he proceeded to Doherty Memorial Grammar School, Ijero-Ekiti. He also attended Ahmadiya College, Agege, Lagos State, where he bagged a Higher School Certificate (HSC). He holds a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Graphics Design from the Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, and a Post Graduate Diploma and Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the then University of Ado-Ekiti (UNAD) now Ekiti State University. After his service year, Bisi Kolawole worked with NICHEMTEX Industries, Ikorodu, Lagos State, from 1982 to 1992. He later registered his own private company focusing on printing and merchandising.
Bisi Kolawole was the Ekiti State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a position he resigned from in September 2021 to contest the governorship election. He represented the Efon constituency in the State House of Assembly between 2007 and 2011. During the administration of former Governor Ayo Fayose, Kolawole served as Commissioner for Environment between 2015 and 2018. He hails from Efon Alaaye town. Kolawole was the Campaign Manager for two former governorship candidates in the state: Dayo Adeyeye and Professor Olusola Eleka. He is married to Adeola Kehinde Kolawole (nee Fajilade) and their union is blessed with children.
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