OrderPaperToday – Who flies the flag of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the impending governorship election in Ekiti State?
At least four members of the National Assembly, past and present, have presented themselves for the position. These include Senators Opeyemi Bamidele and Adedayo Adeyeye; and Messrs. Femi Bamisile and Bamidele Faparusi, who are present and former members of the House of Representatives respectively. While Sen. Bamidele is an incumbent member of the Senate, Adedayo served briefly in the red chamber before he was thrown out by the court.
What are the strengths and weaknesses of each of these men? What are their track records in the legislature that recommend them for responsibility at the highest executive office of Ekiti State? What are their chances all considered?
Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele (MOB)
Senator Bamidele is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters. In terms of his legislative records, he sponsored 17 bills, two motions and zero petition in the first two years of the life of the 9th Senate. He is Lawyer turned politician, representing Ekiti Central senatorial District of Ekiti State under the platform of the APC. He is fondly called MOB and belongs to the Bola Tinubu political family. He is a former member of the House of Representatives. Opeyemi has declared his interest to vie for the governor’s seat in the State. He had served as Commissioner for Information during the first term of former Governor Babatunde Fashola. He had previously served two terms under former Governor Bola Tinubu, as Senior Special Assistant (SSA) and Special Adviser respectively. He had contested the 2014 Ekiti governorship race under the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) but he headed for the Labour Party (LP) after he was denied the ticket. Will he get the APC ticket this time?
Femi Bamisile
He is currently serving as Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on FERMA as member representing Emure /Gbonyin/Ekiti East federal constituency. Bamisile, who is a former Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, vied for the APC gubernational primary held in April 5, 2018 and came 4th out of 33 contestants. He is an experienced politician, who contested the House of Representatives seat in 2004 and lost to Biodun Olujimi. He later contested for the House of Assembly seat to represent Ekiti East Constituency 1 in 2007 on the platform of the PDP and won. Bamisile later became the Speaker of the House of Assembly in Ekiti State between 2007 and 2009 but he resigned during a protracted crisis with his colleagues. He had contested twice for the House of Reps seat he currently occupies on the platforms of Alliance for Democracy (AD) and National Conscience Party (NCP) in 2003 and a by-election in 2004, but was unsuccessful. He is also a former PDP deputy chairman in Ekiti. But, he later dumped the party for the APC. By the records, Bamisile is yet to bring a bill to the floor of the green chamber, at least in first two years of the 9th Assembly. Party leaders and analysts are of the view that he could dismantle the current structure of the APC which currently serves Governor Fayemi and former Governor Niyi Adebayo if he is elected governor.
Sen. Adedayo Adeyeye
Adeyeye is a former senator representing Ekiti South senatorial district in the National Assembly. He was inaugurated into the 9th assembly but was removed by the court after a stiff challenge by Sen. Biodun Olujimi, who now occupies the seat. In 2006, Adeyeye contested for Ekiti State governorship under the platform for Alliance for Democracy (AD). He was runner up to Governor Kayode Fayemi in the primary elections. He later defected to the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) with his supporters and other aspirants. He also dumped ACN for the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He served a Minister of State for Works under President Goodluck Jonathan, a position he occupied till the end of that administration. He then served as national publicity of the party before defecting to the APC on which platform he contested senatorial election conducted on Saturday, February 23, 2019.
Bamidele Faparusi
He is former Member of the House of Representatives, and a leading candidate in the Ekiti gubernatorial race. The ex-lawmaker was, until recently, Commissioner for Infrastructure and Public Utilities under the present administration of Governor Kayode Fayemi. Faparusi represented Ekiti South Federal Constituency II in the 7th National Assembly, and he is a well-known grass roots politician. Faparusi won election into the House of Representatives on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and report had it that he was very vocal and committed to legislative activities. Fappy, as he is fondly called, is a respected grassroots politician with national exposure.
Additional reporting by Ojochenemi Onje-James
