Former boastful Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose’s political fortunes appear to be waning. In this report, MOSHOOD ADEWALE examines the rise and decline of a man once noted for his fiery rhetoric.
It was a Sunday evening. The indigo charm of the evening sun stretched over the forest that encircle the town. Little children, some of them half naked scurried on the sandy soil; some were completely naked; some were strapped on the back of young mothers.
A largely Christian community, most people here are farmers or hunters, at best some of the men combine hunting and farming, two agelong trades that generations of people in this place have been known.
On one of the main streets was a modern country home situated in the heart of a village called Afao-Ekiti. The country home is located on a large expanse of land dotted by an array of roses and a beautiful lawn.
The home wore a subdued, deserted look. There were no fresh patches of car tyres on the floor indicating that perhaps no vehicle had ventured in or out of the compound for days or even weeks.
“It’s a complete anti-thesis. This house used to host over 500 visitors every weekend. Every Sunday was like a festival. I can’t believe this can happen here. It’s more like a ghost town”, Pa John Adebomi, a retired school teacher and native of the town told our correspondent, nodding his head in disbelief.
He said rhetorically, “We miss our son, Fayose. He has not been home for many weeks now. We understand he is in Abuja”, he said as he shelled off an orange with the back peel forming a ring downwards. At the capital city of Ado-Ekiti, the same applies. Mr. Fayose’s private rendezvous, Spotless Hotel has lost its steam.
“Our customers have reduced drastically. It’s painful”, an official of the hotel told Newdawn in a chat. He said political meetings no longer hold in the hotel and that party faithful are in a state of despair following what appears a shutdown of the inflow of resources from a man reputed for guzzling state resources on the streets.
The scenario in Fayose’s ancestral home appears a grim reflection of his current political waterloo. Many are uncertain what political future awaits the former outspoken Governor. Though his wife, Feyi, told a crowd of faithful on the eve of their departure from the state house that her husband would “be back”, it appears hers was not a realistic prophecy.
“This is the journey to Abuja. It is safer to be in Abuja than to be in Lagos and be creating the impression that you want to escape. There is no seaport in Abuja. The EFCC doesn’t need any drama; I am a man of courage. I have told them I’m coming and I’m on my way to them,” Fayose told his supporters.
The past few months have seen a more subdued and less vociferous former Governor whose rookie, Dr. Olusola Eleka lost to the All Progressives Congress, (APC) candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi. His media aide, Mr. Lere Olayinka who once charmed the social media with his defense of his boss appears to have lost his voice.
Mr. Fayose’s boozing Twitter account has been silent. His usual combative posture cowed and his forceful temper tamed, one of his aides who does not wish to be named told Newdawn that Mr. Fayose has been deserted by hordes of friends and aides who once rallied around him the way bees draw to honey.
“It’s not the best of times for our boss. He is aware he is no longer in power and that his powers and influence have diminished”, the source said.
Our reporter was informed that Fayose’s waning influence could be traced to some major political events that have sliced him politically into pieces. The first, the source said was the outcome of Ekiti election which his crony, Dr. Olusola Eleka lost. Since the narrow defeat, inspite of his boastful hype, Fayose and his supporters appear to have been deflated.
Newdawn heard that the second source of trauma came from his trial in Abuja. The former Governor is facing charges of grievous corruption and mismanagement of funds while he served as the Governor of Ekiti State. On the day of his appearance, Fayose dramatized his presence with a retinue of big-wig supporters that followed him. Eventually he ended up in EFCC detention for two weeks.
A source in EFCC told Newdawn that property worth 1billion Naira belonging to Mr. Fayose stand the risk of forfeiture. “He is likely to lose property estimated at over 2billion Naira. He may also lose a lot of money. The EFCC is working on freezing many of his accounts including proxy accounts,” an official of the EFCC told Newdawn.
Our reporter was also informed that Mr. Fayose’s fowl is literarily having its rump exposed. Mr. Wole Olujobi, an aide of Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi wrote that Mr. Fayose ran the State Universal Board for Primary Education, (SUBEB) like a cartel. Fayose was said to have borrowed a large chunk of SUBEB resources returning only N250 million at the tail end of his administration.
“The Fayemi government has little option than to probe him. That is the surest way to retrieve Ekiti stolen funds”, a Permanent Secretary in Ekiti who does not wish to be named told Newdawn.
Within his political circle, Fayose is also having a tough time. Apart from losing out in the PDP primary which held in Port Harcourt, the possibility of his using a platform to wield influence in the party is fading. “He is no longer a State Governor. He is not a Senator. His chances of getting political appointment at the Federal level is lean, even if his party wins the next election”, one of his adversaries in Ekiti told our correspondent.
Last month, one of his former allies, Mr. Tope Aluko stormed the party secretariat in the state declaring that Mr. Fayose had been removed as the leader of the party in the state. He had to rally round some officials to stop the embarrassment. He was later reinstated as the de facto leader of the party in Ekiti State. But his running battle with some PDP big wigs led by Senator Olujimi persists.
Prior, Mr. Fayose was literarily one day-one-trouble who seized every opportunity to score political goals. He loved drama. He deliberately chose President Muhammadu Buhari as his subject of vitriolic attacks in order to gain cheap political relevance.
He loved words. He charmed the electorate, giving them a false sense of security and prosperity. He doled out cash on the streets and saw himself as the leader of Ekiti, a purely agrarian community of about three million people. “In or out of office, I am always their leader. Ekiti comes first above everything and anybody and we will continue to defend our people”, he once boasted. The reality today appears a completely different story as the echo of Fayose’s voices fades into the dark night.
