By Mary Oso-Omotosho
Every Ekiti-kété, Party and non-party members, who witnessed the submission of Expression of Interest form by Governor Oyebanji at the APC National Secretariat felt a renewed sense of pride in being an Ekiti. This event was not just a submission of forms; it was a promotion of unity and a demonstration of the collective purpose and oneness of Ekiti. It served as an opportunity for Governor Oyebanji to present a strong vision and progress report, effectively showcasing Ekiti to the world.
In stark contrast, the submission by Kayode Ojo, the self-styled Atiku of Ekiti has only exposed his ignorance. Instead of presenting an inspiring vision for the electorate, he seems more interested in throwing shade at the incumbent governor, His Excellency Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji (BAO). One has to wonder whether he’s running for office or simply auditioning for a role in a comedy sketch.
Given a rare platform, Atiku of Ekiti chose to hurl insults rather than market himself convincingly. What a waste of speech!
Let’s begin with his remark about the “people who have held our state down” since 1999. Atiku of Ekiti seems to be pointing accusing fingers at former governors like Otunba Niyi Adebayo, Dr. Ayo Fayose, Senate leader Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, former MHR Oyetunde Ojo and other party bigwigs in the state who stand by BAO—many of whom are stalwarts of the same APC he’s relying on to launch his campaign.
How daft can he be? It’s like saying, “I’m here to rescue you from the same people I want to work with!” One can only imagine the confused looks on the faces of his potential supporters. If those he deems “nobodies” are the very ones backing his party and its presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, how does he expect to be taken seriously?
When Atiku of Ekiti lamented Ekiti’s educational ranking, placing it at a dismal 29 out of 36, one might wonder if he’s living in a parallel universe. His failure to acknowledge the recent ranking of Ekiti State University as the best state university in Nigeria suggests he’s either out of touch with reality or simply uninformed about current affairs in his own state. It’s almost as if the accolades are mere whispers in the wind, lost on a man who seems preoccupied with grievances rather than solutions. Pitiful!
When will Atiku of Ekiti stop de-marketing his own state? Should we say he is being mentored by the regular presidential aspirant, INEC’s “customer daadaa”, Atiku Abubakar, who consistently de-markets Nigeria due to his disdain for President Tinubu?
How can a supposed governorship aspirant openly run down the very state he desperately wishes to govern? His claims about insecurity in Ekiti are baffling. The state has just been lauded as one of the safest in Nigeria, yet Atiku of Ekiti appears to have missed that news bulletin entirely. Perhaps he’s been too busy crafting his hate speech to read the headlines.
If he’s using insecurity as a campaign tool, he might want to consider that fear-mongering doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in leadership. Instead, it only highlights his own lack of understanding of the realities on the ground. From all indications, he does not seem to grasp what governance is all about, and someone like him should steer clear of governance issues.
Just as Atiku’s bitterness towards President Tinubu has clouded his judgment to consistently de-market Nigeria, Atiku of Ekiti’s envy and bitterness toward Governor Oyebanji have led him to constantly de-market Ekiti State. This is why the people of Ekiti continuously reject him.
Attempting to downplay the symbolic submission of forms by BAO and the overwhelming endorsement from Ekiti-kete for both the governor and the president is the height of pettiness.
It’s childish and laughable for Atiku of Ekiti to insinuate that the show of love and support for Governor Oyebanji was coerced. What a clown indeed!
Even those outside Ekiti are aware that Governor Oyebanji enjoys genuine affection from his people. Have you ever wondered why Ekiti people didn’t join the nationwide protests last time? It’s simply because of their love and trust for Governor Oyebanji. Were all those people coerced? Someone should tell Atiku of Ekiti that it is that same love that brought Ekiti-kete to Abuja. His attempt to undermine the people’s love and support for BAO only serves to showcase his desperation, rather than any substantive critique.
Dear Atiku of Ekiti, it is nobody’s fault that the people of Ekiti rejected you even before you presented yourself to them again. It’s nobody’s fault that you are not loved, even after showing up every election cycle. I guess they are tired of your manipulation, arrogance, and deceit. This time, they are standing up for Governor BAO against all your antics. The next time you go for form submission in 2030, try presenting policies that people would want to rally behind.
Atiku of Ekiti’s promise to make local government autonomous reveals his ignorance. Oga contender—or perhaps pretender—appears to not know the current status of local government autonomy at all. It’s almost endearing how he confidently proposes to give autonomy to local governments as if they’re currently in chains, when the truth is that discussions about local government autonomy have been ongoing for years, with debates already underway.
Recently, the President-General of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Mr. Olatunji Ambali, affirmed on Channels Television that Ekiti is one of the three states complying with court directives regarding this autonomy. If Atiku of Ekiti is going to promise to “liberate” something that already has the potential for autonomy, he might want to do a bit more homework to avoid looking like a political novice!
His proposal to empower teachers and civil servants is also laughable. Instead, it feels like a generic promise one would expect from an aspirant desperate to fill airtime. If your entire agenda hinges on echoing what the current administration is already doing while simultaneously criticizing it, what’s the point? It’s like offering to paint someone’s house a different shade of gray when the current paint job is already pristine. One would really want to ask if this guy has been in a coma during the past two and a half years of Governor Oyebanji’s administration.
Atiku of Ekiti’s promise to work to deliver votes for Mr. President also shows his desperation. Whom do you intend to work with? The party you openly insult? The party you don’t understand? The leaders of the party you disrespect? The president you teamed up with Ameachi to oppose in 2023? The president you sponsored celebrities and influencers to insult because federal roads in Ekiti?
If Atiku of Ekiti can publicly drag those supporting the president as “nonentities,” then his statements about working for the president come off as mere political theater. It’s like saying, “I’m a friend of the family, but I have no respect for the relatives.” Such contradictions make one question whether Atiku of Ekiti is running a campaign or merely playing the part of a jester in a court he doesn’t seem to understand.
Atiku of Ekiti’s submission of forms was more of an exercise in deflection than a genuine campaign for the governorship. Instead of presenting a coherent vision for Ekiti’s future, he chose to hurl unfounded criticisms as usual, leaving the electorate with more questions than answers.
If he wishes to be taken seriously, he might want to consider swapping insults for ideas and grievances for governance. After all, running for governor should be about inspiring the people, not just berating the competition. And if he can’t grasp the fundamentals of governance, he might want to stay far away from the political arena and go take care of his ill health.
Mary writes from Ado Ekiti.
