The Governor-elect of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has blamed his removal from office in 2006 on what he referred to as enemies of developmental democracy. He also cautioned Lagos State governor, Babatunde Fashola, to stop insulting the people of Ekiti State by his ceaseless apportioning blame on the for freely choosing whom they want to govern them.
Fayose, who contested the recent governorship election of Ekiti State under the umbrella of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP took a swipe at Fashola, whom he asked to come to terms with the result of the governorship election, which he won.
The governor-elect pointed out the comments credited to Fashola on the Ekiti poll were unbecoming of his status, adding that his words were also a direct insult on the sensibility of the people of the state.
Fayose, however, pleaded with Lagos governor to stop condemning the people of the state for choosing whom they wanted to govern them, noting that the plea was for the purpose of peace.
He was elected into office in 2003 and removed through controversial impeachment in 2006. But the Governor elect has blamed his denial of second term then on the handiwork of anti-democratic forces and political jobbers in and outside the state.
Speaking to our Correspondent in a telephone interview from Ado-Ekiti, Fayose stated that he was politically mature now than when he was elected into government house of Ekiti State in 2003.
“I used my period of travail to educate my body, soul and spirit. My first term as Ekiti State governor could be described as probation period, but now I am mature and have graduated from School of democratic ideologies and governance and would surprise my adversaries and contenders.”
Fayose stated that, he laid the foundation and set the blocks of democratic structure in Ekiti State, ” I am happy the incumbent governor is building on the foundation I laid years back. But the issue is that, democracy must be felt by the people. Impact of governance and sense of belonging must cut across the entire classes of the society.”
It would be recalled that analysts have of late described the Kayode Fayemi’s led administration in the state as elites driven. Watchers of event in Ekiti also blamed his defeat at the poll for second term on his failure to carry the grassroots democratic elements along.
The Governor elect, Ayodele Fayose, added that democracy was all about the people and therefore, the people must come first. “Therefore, my administration as usual would focus on the people of Ekiti, the people of Nigeria and lovers of democracy.”
Asked how he hope to run the state, in which majority members of the State House of Assembly are in the opposition party, Fayose said, “It was not members of the House of Assembly that voted for me, but the people of Ekiti State. So, my strength is in the people of Ekiti State.”
Ayodele Fayose of the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] the governor-elect, won a keenly contested election held in Ekiti State, with what appears a landslide.
To emerge winner, Mr. Fayose polled a total of 203,090 votes, winning the highest number of votes in all the 16 Local Government Areas of the state. Incumbent Governor Kayode Fayemi of the All Progressives Congress [APC], who is his closest challenger, came a distant second, garnering 120,433 votes.
The candidate of the Labour Party [LP], Opeyemi Bamidele, received a paltry 18,135 votes. “Having satisfied the requirements of the law and scoring the highest numbers of votes, Ayodele Fayose of the Peoples Democratic Party is therefore returned elected,” the chief returning officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Isaac Asuzu, said while announcing the result.
In Ado-Ekiti, Mr. Fayose got 41, 169 votes to beat Fayemi who had 13, 927 votes and Mr. Bamidele with 2,065 votes. While Mr. Fayose polled 5,335 votes in Effon Local Government Area, Mr. Fayemi had 3,422 with Mr. Bamidele garnering 358 votes. In Emure Local Government Area, Mr. Fayose had 7,086 while Fayemi got 4,332 with Bamidele recording 1,527 votes.
The PDP’s candidate got 11, 200 votes in Oye Local Government Area while the APC candidate polled 10, 176 votes and Labour trailed with 512 votes. While Mr. Fayose had 3,670 votes in Ilejemeje Local Government Area, Mr. Fayemi got 3,336 votes and Mr. Bamidele garnered 165 votes. In Ikere Local Government Area, the PDP’s candidate scored 16,197 votes while APC had 7,989, with Labour polling 585.
Mr. Fayose also led in Ikole Local Government Area with 14,238 votes with APC scoring 8,804 and Labour Party, 1,259. The PDP flagbearer hauled in 11,038 votes in Ekiti South West Local Government while APC had 6,745 and Labour Party, 1,413. While Mr. Fayose had 13,814 votes in Ijero Local Governement Area, Mr. Fayemi scored 9,348, and Mr. Bamidele followed with 1,554 votes. In Mr. Fayose’s Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government, the PDP candidate polled 13,038 votes while Mr. Fayemi came second with 6,834 and Labour coming third with 3,555 votes.
Mr. Fayose was also victorious with 12,498 votes in Ekiti East Local Government Area while Mr. Fayemi had 8,584 and Mr. Bamidele, 762. In Moba, the PDP candidate scored 8,878 votes, APC had 7994 and Labour 1,000. Mr. Fayose had a vote haul of 10,136 votes in Ise/Orun Local Government to defeat Mr. Fayemi who got 5,809 and Mr. Bamidele who had 600. In Gbonyin Local Government Area, the PDP’ candidate had 11,046 votes, APC got 8138 while Labour Party got 714. Mr. Fayose raked in 10,702 votes in Ekiti West Local Government Area while Mr. Fayemi had 7,860 and Labour 884.
