CULLED FROM NEWS HERE AND THERE MAGAZINE
Biodun Borisade
Governor Oyebanji
Mr Abiodun Borisade, is a Chieftain of the All Progressive Congress APC. In this interview monitored by our reporter, Borisade highlighted the leadership qualities of Ekiti state governor, Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji which he described as the strategy working for the political growth of the governor in the state. ENIOLA YEKINI reports:
We know that Governor Biodun Oyebanji will be flying the flag for APC. You were one of the supporters. Quite a number of 885 delegates were drawn from 177 wards across 16 local governments in the primary election that produced Oyebanji as the consensus candidate.It was like a watertight kind of unity in APC. This is not always the case.
So what happened there?
Governor Biodun Oyebanji has been blessed to have the opportunity to break a jinx that previously existed in APC. None of our governors, our leaders, have had the opportunity of doing back-to-back. He will do it, by God’s grace after the general elections. You know, like a tailor’s apprentice has to learn how to cut, sew, join, measure. You can’t come from the boardroom to govern Ekiti. You must go through certain processes that would ensure your success as a governor in Ekiti State.
Ekiti is one of the most homogeneous ethnic states with an ethnicity. We call ourselves Ekitikete.
When we are at home, we are Ekiti-kete. When we are abroad, we are Ekiti-kete . Ekiti respect is very fundamental to us and Governor Oyebanji started his tenure exhibiting and displaying that Ekiti factor, demonstrating the core value of Ekiti, which is respect.
Respect is reciprocal. The journey of his consensus candidature wasn’t a long one. I would say it wasn’t a long one, but it took a few people a longer time to recognize what was unfolding.
When the political actors, the representatives of the people, the elected actors within that political space, come together and decide that this is where we’re going, it’s like trying to stop a moving train. Once they had decided and had so indicated it was now in the public space, they were going to protect it with everything they had.
What have been the political activities involved?
In Democracy, minority will have a say, but majority will have the way. What the government has done, which has really encouraged a lot of us. I want to say this, at the onset, I didn’t particularly support the consensus idea. Because I saw it as somewhat depriving of us. But when push comes to shove, every agitation will reach a crescendo. And once it reaches that crescendo, you must face reality. Elective posts are not family chiefty titles, they’re not hereditary.Party supremacy. Our constitution does not recognize individual, independent candidacy. So what that means, in essence, is that party supremacy will carry the day.
It was based on the premise of the National Working Committee of APC.
And they reached a decision.
When the decision was reached, there were two aspirants left in the race, Governor Oyebanji and another of our female leaders. She gladly decided to step down.
Reasons that we know, because you see, when you have a long drawn battle, one, it’s expensive. Two, you can hardly, go to court and come back and be friends. So at times, it’s best to toe the line of reason.
95% of those who have held elective offices in the state decided to go the way of Governor Biodun Oyebanji. Now, some of us sat down to analyze what was playing out. One factor that came out strongly is that if APC will develop, one, we need peace, we need stability. Peace and stability. Governor Oyebanji’s first year in office was more consolidating and bringing all the gladiators together.
The likes of former Governor Fayose, Governor Fayemi our esteemed leader, former Deputy Governors, Senators, the current Senate ( Distinguished Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele.
Now, for all of these leaders to decide that, look, this man has done his third year in his first term. So, we have seen his hand, so to speak. We can’t say we don’t know his hand, we don’t know what he’s going to do.
That has been enough time for the citizenry to be able to effectively evaluate. I’m sure, by God’s grace, better things are going to come.
Ironically, Governor Biodun Oyebanji was the secretary of the committee of the Ekiti state creation. The eldest committee that put it together on paper and presented it. Again, there’s oftentimes, in politics, a right of force to refusal, not of respect to an office holder, particularly when he hasn’t done anything that warrants otherwise.
In his acceptance speech, he again reiterated the fact that there’s no victor, there’s no vanquished.
He has stressed out. He’s always been playing the soft card. Absolutely.
First of all, it has been established that Governor Biodun Oyebange is a bona fide (candidate of APC in the 2026 election.
But there’s a gentleman, Kayode Ojo , in there as well. And we’re talking here about a consensus result. Did this include Kayode Ojo?
Kayode Ojo is my brother.
We are friends. In times previous, he had contested against Governor Fayemi. He contested the last primary against Governor Oyebanji as well.
Unfortunately, this time around, he didn’t meet the minimum criteria, so he was disqualified, so he couldn’t run against anybody. Well, the primary would have taken place between Governor Biodun Oyebanji and a lady who stepped down for him.
Two other aspirants were disqualified, in the person of Engineer Kayode Ojo and another lady called Bimbo.
Now, be that as it may, we can’t wish away Engineer Kayode Ojo’s dexterity. Integrity is a true Ekiti song.
He’s currently the Pro-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, UNN. He’s from Ikoro Ekiti.
On deplorable road in Ekiti?
I came from Ekiti by road today, and I can tell you authoritatively that I did not encounter any gallop bumps on the road until I got to Iwaraja.
Now, the Aramako axis you mentioned, again, you’re correct, it’s a federal road, and 95% of the vehicles that ply that road don’t stop in Ekiti for anything. They’re either going to Abuja or further north. Ekiti is very, very interconnected.
Our roads, our towns and villages are interconnected. You can pass, if you’re going from Ado, Ilawe, Ikogosi, Efon, Iwaraja, gallop-free. And what the state government did, which I strongly support, they put barriers on our state roads, height barriers, to stop those heavy-duty vehicles going to the north from damaging our roads.
So they’d have to find a detour to further preserve the roads. We’ve had to use our ingenuity. The state commissioner for work, they’ve had to use their ingenuity to determine what roads actually serve Ekiti people.They fixed these roads. And in all fairness, the federal minister for works, has been to Ekiti on numerous occasions.
If you’re going to Abuja, the state has done some palliative efforts there. They’ve filled the place with boulders. They did some time ago, they worked on it.
But if heavy-duty vehicles keep plying that road, unless the new technology of using concrete to build roads, unless the federal government adopts it in Ekiti state, then whatever effort is done in a space of months, particularly when rain sets in, it will go back to square one.
But if you’re commuting out of the state, you can drive peacefully without encountering those encumbrances. And we also know that a lot of effort is being put into roads, generally in Nigeria.
From Ilesha to Ife to Ibadan, we’re facing ourselves. One lane has been abandoned, so it’s only Lagos to Ibadan that you can have respite. But if you are coming to Ekiti, you can rest assured that if you know the roads to pass, you won’t have challenges on the road.
And of course, the administration is also aware of what you’ve just said. And no doubt, it must be very close in view to them. They must be keeping it very much in view to see what they could do.
You had commented that when it was decided it was going to be Governor Biodun Oyebanji who would be the consensus candidate, you spoke about Engineer Kayode Ojo. You said a few words about him. I think you could also say a few words about Mrs. Atinuke Omolayo, because you had made the point that had she not unanimously toll the party line, if she had said, look, I have the right, let me go and test my popularity, it might have ended up in what you refer to as a long turnout and expense. But for her to have been one of the two left standing when all the processes had been completed, she must be a politician of no mean stature?
I can authoritatively say that she’s been in Ekiti politics since the creation of Ekiti. Someone who has been a person of means way back then.
(And also being politically active. Yes. It sends a message round that she has the love of Ekiti at heart, she wants peace in her environment, and I can only personally wish her the best, because what she did saved Ekiti.
a lot of headache. So I think. She’s a team player. And a mother!
People have been saying that, Governor Biodun Oyebanji has been doing quite well. That’s what is being reported. Now, this can also points to the caliber and the quality of the executive team that he has around him.It does appear that one of the pluses would be that we’ve seen who Governor Oyebanji is working with, and he has chosen well.
Would you say that?
God chose for him. I don’t want to single out any team member, but I think our colleagues are doing well.
The Ministry of Agric and Food Security has done quite well. I think they’ve scored 85%. Health, 75%. Works, 60-75%. Because that’s an enormous list. We can’t but give credit to Wealth Creation, (the Ministry of Wealth Creation) He can only do better.
He can’t perform less than he has done. So, we’re expecting more.
Of course, he won’t be the only one in the race.Because all the other people are watching, from the PDP to the APC to.., you know, whoever they are, they all have an interest ? It is their right, let them come out. Let them come out and appeal to the electorates.
In fact, what I envisage happening is that Governor Biodun Oyebanji will win convincingly all the votes You know, we have 16 local governments.
He will win convincingly. He will win the 177 wards. When I drove from Abuja, I entered Ekiti That’s coming from the north. Then I drove out heading to the south. Kiosk owners, people who are petty traders, they use their own fund, their own little money to do banners, in support of the Oyebanji.
It’s a phenomenon that has never happened in Ekiti before. So that’s why I say I think 95% of the votes will come for him.
So you are saying that, in 2026, June your party shall be victorious?
The fact is, when you look at critical sectors,no sector has been abandoned. And you can only do so much at a time. I think another advantage that we have in Governor Oyebanji’s person, I don’t think there’s any street you can mention in Ekiti that he hasn’t stepped on and that he doesn’t know.
So he’s a grassroots man himself.?
Absolutely,! So for an individual like that, with that reservoir of goodwill, information, knowledge, it will be difficult for anybody to come and try and pull a fast one over him.
Because if he gives you a street to do, and you haven’t done it, don’t be surprised if he goes there in the night. And I’ve been told that the Governor does that. There are times that he has gone for functions with a small Corolla.
People were expecting to see SUVs arrive, but he comes out of a small Corolla. So he’s a grassroots person, and Ekiti loves him.
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