Fayemi And The New Sociology Of Politics

Ekiti State, formerly
known as the “Centre of Knowledge,” but now “Land of Honour” took her turn in the gubernatorial test on June 21, 2014 with a verdict of “no victor, no vanquished”.  One may be wondering why there was “no victor, no vanquished”  in an election in which three major political parties with three heavy weights engaged themselves in a battle of wills and wits to win the hearts and votes of the electorate at all costs.
While Governor Kayode Fayemi of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on the driving seat of Ekiti Government, tried to use the test to cruise into his second tenure, his major challenger and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Ayo Fayose was determined to   recover the peoples’ mandate which he believed was stolen from him through judiciary gate. Fayose lost to Fayemi in a court of law after a stay of more than three years as landlord of Ekiti State Government House. Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele, a member of House of Representatives and candidate of the Labour Party (LP) saw the governorship poll as an opportunity to serve the people as No 1 citizen of the state.
Bearing all calculations by the candidates to win the election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which was leaking its wounds from poor outing in previous exercises was, however, prepared to make a difference in the poll in which 732,166 voters registered across 2,195 polling units in the state with 177 wards.
In a ‘hard fought’ election among the three candidates, INEC released the score card and returned Ayo Fayose of PDP as the winner, having won in all the 16 local government areas of the state with 203,090 votes. the incumbent governor polled 120,433 votes to clinch second position while the LP candidate, Bamidele, settled for third position with 18,135 votes.
Even though there were records of unsavory episodes when the candidates toured parts of the state to sell themselves to the people, the verdict of INEC on the Ekiti gubernatorial poll, did not tear the Ekiti people and their peace apart as earlier predicted in some quarters.
But the beauty of the Ekiti election can better be appreciated in the rare show of sportsmanship exhibited by Governor Fayemi despite the fact that he lost in his bid to return to Government House for a second time. Hours after INEC released the result, Ekiti remained peaceful and Governor Fayemi not only accepted defeat, but also congratulated Fayose, the governor-elect for emerging victorious.
In a broadcast in Ado-Ekiti last Sunday, Fayemi said he had no choice but to accept the results of the June 21 election and congratulated the governor-elect “if indeed the outcome of the election is the will of the Ekiti people.”
Displaying an uncommon disposition that is unknown to Africa politics, Fayemi insisted that “if this is the will of the Ekiti people, I stand in deference to your will. If the result of the elections is an expression of the voice of our people, we must all heed your voice. I have just spoken with my brother, Mr. Peter Ayodele Fayose, congratulating him on his victory. In a few hours from now, I would be meeting the governor-elect to discuss the future of our dear state and how we would work together to institute a smooth transition programme.”
The governor not only participated in the election, he also saw the outcome of the polls as truly reflecting the wishes of the people and therefore accepted in clear terms that “conscience is an open wound, only truth can heal”.
The leadership of APC is worried why and how the party lost to the opponent in the polls even with the power of incumbency, Fayemi believes that there is no need crying over the spilt milk. With no blame for any one for his political summersault, Fayemi, however, thanked the people for support even as he promised to keep faith with them in building Ekiti together.
“Elections tend to be highly divisive affairs that often see a brother rising against his brother. Despite our diverse party affiliations, and regardless of which way we voted on Saturday, we must remember that we are all sons and daughters of Ekiti State. Ekiti is ours to build together”, Faymei added in his post-election broadcast.
Three uncommon features stand out in Fayemi reaction to the Ekiti election. They are, his conscience and political will to concede defeat in the face of realities, his sportsmanship to congratulate his winner (Fayose) and his concern and willingness to build Ekiti together irrespective of party affiliations.
Governor Fayemi may have fought a good fight and kept the faith in the election that was adjudged credible, free and fair by stakeholders, the voice of the people, INEC concurred, was the voice of God. No wonder, he (Fayemi) threw in the towel; a situation that has evolved what could be regarded as a new sociology in Ekiti politics.
Reactions have trailed Fayemi disposition to the outcome of the election. To some, Fayemi’s gentleman disposition to concede defeat is ‘un Africa’, but the APC flag bearer in the polls believed that there is nothing “un-African of un-Nigerian” about his congratulatory message to Fayose. Fayemi who received the governor-elect in his office in Ado-Ekiti, remarked that, “They said my congratulatory message to governor-elect is un-African or un-Nigerian. I don’t think it was so because that was what I was expected to do as a democrat.”
Respecting the wishes of the people in an election, does not make one a political misfit or coward. Fayemi argues that his action was prompted by the belief that “our democracy is fragile and we have to do whatever we can as leaders to strengthen and deepen it the more”.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, agreed that the governor conceding defeat and congratulating his opponents is exemplary in nature and has added value to the country’s democratic principles. In a statement by his Special Adviser on media, Imam Imam, the speaker said “the governor’s action to congratulate his opponent was a clear proof that our politics is imbibing standard global practice associated with electioneering process”.
To the All Progressives Congress, the action of its candidate in the election was the position of the party. “Of course, the governor couldn’t have made such statement without consulting with the party leadership. What he said is the position of the party leadership,” Lai Mohammed, the APC spokesman said.
The Governor-elect must be grateful to God because the man who wrestled power from him four year ago but lost to him in the June 21 polls is not desperate to remain in office, as it is often the case with most incumbents who usually demonstrate the bad loser syndrome. But more importantly, Fayemi has demonstrated to the world that the interest of Ekiti people is more paramount than his personal ambition and that politics can be played with decorum and restraint.
Meanwhile, Fayose who said his coming back as governor was borne out of the genuine intention to promote love and unity among Ekiti people, did not hide his warm feeling about Fayemi conceding defeat to him when he said “His (Fayemi’s) statesmanship conduct would forever remain in history”.
Today, Ekiti is victorious and in the eyes of history, this is a lesson for all politicians that election must not be seen as do-or-die affairs. Politicians must avoid the bad loser syndrome, build and sustain democracy and not pull it down.
As the 2015 general elections draw nearer, time will tell whether politicians will build on Fayemi’s new sociology of politics-where election is contested and decided without going to court or return to the old and expensive order that increases court cases after every poll as well as promotes tension and acrimony in the land.

APC governorship candidate, Governor Kayode Fayemi and his wife Bisi on queue waiting for their turn to vote during the governorship election in Ekiti State recently.

Samuel Eleonu