The first time I ever heard the name Kayode Fayemi was in early 2006. Then I was intially assigned to cover the campaign activities of Yinka Akerele who then seemed like the nemesis of Ayo Fayose and was actually one of those who spearheaded the ouster of the then governor as he himself confessed to me and I have also confirmed from some of the major players at the time. Eventually, I was re-assigned to cover Professor Adesegun Ojo and I wanted nothing more than to see Ojo become governor, not just because I later had a personal relationship with him (though he has since ostracized me and also delisted me as his friend on Facebook because of my position on the Fayemi administration for which I have no apologies to no one), but having listened to him, I knew he was also passionate about Ekiti, his choice of PDP though hard-to-understand as I know too well that the party hardly has a space for intellectuals. This was always a cause of argument between me and the professor of Political Science. For PDP members, it always seems brute force is much more inportant than cerebral power.
Fatile, who is now in Fayemi government, was the one who always came around to Progress FM (Radio Nigeria) where I worked then to talk about Fayemi and the larger-than-life credentials of his and his wife. I just couldn't vote for Segun Oni in spite of the fact that my father was at the time a PDP member. I had my personal reasons and maybe someday I would get to write about it. This was when I started looking in the direction of Dr. Kayode Fayemi and paying attention to all the democratic credentials that Fatile would go on and on about.
Honestly, I didn't fall for the credentials because that for me is not the prerequisite for good governance. I fell instead for the person of Fayemi as he went round the state selling himself to the electorate and his firm insistence on the need for peace even in the face of provocation. This was why I voted for John Kayode Fayemi - because he is a man of peace and never shies away from preaching peace at every available opportunity. This was the major reason I took the Adaba FM job and resigned from Radio Nigeria after his mandate was stolen. Call me biased, I am never one to hide my feelings or leanings. I wanted to do more to fight the injustice of stealing my vote which the PDP do-or-die train unleashed on Ekiti. Radio Nigeria, which someone I refer to as 'uncle' few days ago called unbiased, wouldn't let me as some of our 'ogas' had friends in government and would censor every of our reports. I remember now the report I did on the Orin Farm which the Oni administration told us was a youth-based programme only to discover upon a visit to the farm that 62-year-olds were being called youth. The report aired because the General Manager was not around, but he returned questioning the Head of News for allowing it.
Adaba FM is not perfect - far from it and heaven knows how many times I fought some of my superiors to let PDP stories run as much as ACN and LP stories. Agagu's Information Commissioner Eddy Olafeso would come around in those days and give a piece of his mind about Mimiko and the LP. Sikiru Lawal and Dr. Femi Thomas also came around. Even Segun Oni got home service. Anthony Ayikeke had a programme on the station where he was promoting the Oni government. Agagu and PDP's jingles were running unhindered. The case is dissimilar at Progress FM. They would listen to jingles of the opposition and point out several portions they would love to see cut.
It was at Adaba FM that I first met Dr. Kayode Fayemi during a visit and I was not disappointed casting my vote for him as I would do again in 2014. He was his usual self, never condescending and ready to listen to all sides of every issue, another reason I would vote him again.
Upon his swearing-in, at least for the first year, I was disappointed to no end and I didn't hide it. Just like an average Ekiti person, I didn't want to be bothered about stories that his was like the feet of a duck working tirelessly under the water before the duck could be seen to be moving. Despite being an aide to Senator Babafemi Ojudu, his friend and fellow ACN member, I would criticize him openly, sometimes to the hearing of my boss who kept assuring that Fayemi could never disappoint Ekiti people. I criticised him several times on the social media and most of those who today call me unprintable names for seeing the good works of the Fayemi administration were all praising me for being objective, despite working for an ACN senator.
As one who has never cared whose ox is gored, I also couldn't keep quiet when I saw the development strides and the unrivalled commitment of the Fayemi administration. I am as vociferous as his supporter as I was his critic. No one would shut me up! Some accused me of abandoning my job as Ojudu's media aide and singing Fayemi's praises, but thank God for a good and mature boss. Rather than stop me, he urged me on, providing advice and encouragement. The same characters who earlier praised me for objectivity accused of me of having my palms greased by Fayemi, a man who did not at the time know me. The reason I didn't have a problem with that or ever defended myself is because every thing (which most times are ignoble) in the PDP, and the newly formed alliance (adjectivally defined as 'coalition', but in truth a group of selfish, disgruntled, money-hungry politicians who would rather our commonwealth is used to service their bottomless greedy pockets) by our brother who recently broke ranks, is money-inspired and benefits-determined. I take no offence if they erroneously see everyone as exhibiting the trademark money-for-hand-back-for-ground philosophy of their little Bibiire contraption. The only question I ever asked was 'If I could be objective when I thought the administration was not doing anything, why should anyone disparage me for being objective about the never-seen-before good works of the Fayemi administration?' Do our people only praise you when your position aligns with theirs and cast you off as a paid mouthpiece when you opt for the truth?
This see-no-good-hear-no-good stance is why Opeyemi Bamidele will never get the votes of Ekiti people. A sincere walk of truth round Ekiti by Bamidele will confirm my position as I neither speak as a prophet nor as an over-zealous politician. I speak based on what I have seen and the facts on ground. Most of those in the rural areas don't know him Bamidele or what he stands for. I saw in those towns and villages the futility of pages-of-newspaper and Internet politics and I shudder at the shock awaiting Opeyemi Bamidele at the polls in 2014. And I believe (if he is not deluded as some have said) he knows this.
The trademark sincerity of Kayode Fayemi has drawn so many to him that they are not ready for another 'Fayose'. The politics of Ekiti is back to the old days of dignity, before the advent of 'owo meji loke f'enikan' politics heralded by Fayose. Little wonder many are rejecting the measly N2, 000 designed to buy their conscience and calling Ado to ask: 'okan se de eyi' (who is this again?).
The latest attempt by these desperate fellows to cast Dr. Fayemi in the garb of a violent person is backfiring on them. Their hatched plan to provoke and then blame the Fayemi government is already giving them off as those who play politics with human lives and as those who would stop at nothing to realize a stillborn ambition - an ambition borne on the wings of envy, bitterness, greed, political 'roforofo' and political 'keni maa ni'.
'Dimeji Daniels writes from Ado, Ekiti State
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