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Osun Election: Analysts Say APC Should Learn From Fayose’s Ekiti Tactics

Nigerian politics and its democracy are beginning to favour the people as recent happenings have shown that the masses’ views were beginning to matter in … Continue reading Osun Election: Analysts Say APC Should Learn From Fayose’s Ekiti Tactics


Pol TodayNigerian politics and its democracy are beginning to favour the people as recent happenings have shown that the masses’ views were beginning to matter in the scheme of things.

This was a view shared by a Political Science lecturer at the University of Lagos, Dr. Kayode Eesuola on the Sunday edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today.

He made reference to the outcome of the governorship election in Ekiti and the friendly reactions that trailed the victory of Ayo Fayose over the incumbent, Governor Kayode Fayemi.

A political analyst, Chima Nnaji, who was also on the programme, referred to the move by Governor Fayemi as a good sign for the future of Nigerian politics. He noted particularly the timing of Fayemi’s concession as one that was crucial, as he was able to prevent a possible breakdown of law and order by aggrieved supporters.

With the Osun State governorship election approaching, it is expected that the opposition would be doing all possible to prevent another shocking defeat at the polls.

The APC National Vice Chairman, South, Segun Oni, had said earlier in the week that the Ekiti election was “a new dimension to rigging” and the party was not going to allow a repeat of the same outcome in Osun State.

Dr. Eesuola referred to Oni’s comments as proof that the All Progressives Congress lacked ideologies as the difference in his position with that of the defeated Governor Fayemi showed that there was no synergy of ideologies and there could be crises within the party.

On the claim that the election was rigged, he said it was a case of “the kettle calling the cooking pot black” as all the parties rely on the same strategy.

Mr Nnaji also referred to the statement as a wrong signal. He opined that at the moment “strategy should drive action”, adding that the party’s communication should have focused on moving on, and accepting what has happened in Ekiti as a way to learn lessons and prevent making same mistakes they made, as this would have been the dignified way of reacting.

“Give dignity to the electorates in Ekiti”, he said.

He cited the campaign approaches of the Ekiti State Governor-elect, Ayo Fayose, who rode very much on voter education by constantly appealing to his supporters to collect their voters’ cards and asking them to show same at his rallies. He said that he expected the APC to ask among themselves what Fayose did right that they could also do right in Osun.

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) held a rally in Lagos with thousands of supporters and party leaders, including the Ekiti victor, Fayose, during the week and the party emphasized its resolve to go ahead, spurred by the Ekiti episode, to capture the entire South-West.

Another political analyst, Dr Idoko, however, noted that while the euphoria was understandable, it did not reflect the reality of things, as the Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, was a different politician to Kayode Fayemi and therefore represents a different kind of opponent for the PDP.

He went down the history lane to relate the current situation to that of the South-West politics in the days of late MKO Abiola up till the emergence of former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu, as a political bigwig. He maintained that the people had a good idea of what they want.

While he agreed that Ekiti was a good victory, he stated that Osun State would be very dicey for the PDP, adding that their quest to take over the South-West region might not come easy in those states except Oyo State.

He posited that Fayemi’s error in Ekiti State was that he did not play the politics of poverty but rather focused on the politics of development which according to him was not a bad thing but only did not mean much to the people. “You must meet the immediate needs of the people to be able to collect something from them”, he said.

He blamed Fayemi for losing the Ekiti State, and that the PDP should not assume that there was a major shift already as Fayose’s victory did not mean that the Ekiti people had made the right choice.