In less than two weeks, political parties in Ekiti will conduct National Assembly primaries to elect their standard bearers. Observers have been looking at the legion of aspirants jostling for the seats and the issue that will shape the contest. As the races draw nearer, there has been a swirl of political activities across the length and breadth of Ekiti. The senatorial aspirants have intensified campaigns preparatory to the parties’ primaries expected to be conducted between May 20 and 25.
The battle is mainly between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressive Congress (APC). Aspirants from other political parties, including the Social Democratic Party (SDP), are yet to indicate interest in the contests. While some names are being touted as possible senatorial hopefuls on the platform of SDP, it is still unclear which of them will eventually plunge into the race.
The state secretariats of the two leading parties located at Ajilosun Area of Ado-Ekiti have become beehive of political activities as aspirants take turn to visit the leadership of their parties to intimate them of their resolve to plunge into the races. Similarly, the party offices at the wards, local government and zonal offices have become Mecca of sort as the aspirants armed with their nomination forms crisscrossing the 16 local government areas to woo delegates to their sides in the light of the forthcoming primaries.
Though the governorship poll in the state will be held on June 18, the preparation for the primary of the national assembly election has permeated the Ekiti political space. The aspirants jostling for various legislative seats across the two leading parties had abandoned the governorship campaign as they are struggling to get the tickets.
There are three serving senators in the race. They are experienced politicians. But, they will work hard to retain their seats because new entrants are also working to dislodge them. The three senators are Senator Biodun Olujimi (PDP), Dr. Olubunmi Adetunmbi (APC) and Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC).
Ekiti South
The incumbent Senator representing the Ekiti South in the upper chamber, Chief (Mrs.) Biodun Olujimi from all indications, is seeking a return to the Senate for third term. The only Senator on the platform of PDP is already meeting party leaders across the six local government areas in the district. She is however not mindful of the negative impact of the division within the party on the chances of the APC in future elections.
In the PDP, apart from Olujimi, other aspirants gunning for the ticket include the former deputy governor and close ally of Fayose, Olusola Eleka, and former member of the House of Representative, Segun Adekola. He was in the green chamber between 2015 and 2019. Going by her sterling performance and commitment to the development of PDP in Ekiti, Olujimi is well position to clinch the senatorial tickets but it appears she will have to fight hard to retain her job at the senate because Fayose is rooting for Adekola.
In the APC, aspirants are yet to indicate interest in the race. While some names are being touted as possible senatorial hopefuls, it is still unclear which of them will eventually plunge into the Senatorial race. But, multiple sources in the party who confided in our correspondent said the current lawmaker representing Ekiti South Federal constituency 1 comprising Ekiti Southwest, Ikere and Ise/Orun local government, Hon. Yemi Adaramodu, may likely get the ticket. There are also indications that Governor Kayode Fayemi may have settled for Adaramodu as the candidate of the APC in the district.
Adaramodu who hails from Ilawe Ekiti in Ekiti Southwest Local Governnent and has come a long way in Ekiti politics. He is presently Chairman House Committee on Youth Development. He was a media practitioner and distinguished himself as a serial award-winning cartoonist, an editor and later became Corporate Affairs Manager of African Newspapers of Nigeria (ANN) Plc, publishers of the Tribune titles before joining politics.
Adaramodu was the Director of Fayemi Campaign Organisation until the restoration of the mandate when he became Chief of Staff to the Governor during Fayemi’s first tenure and wielded enormous powers and influence to the admiration of some and to the dismay of others. Being a grassroots politician, he used the position to distribute largesse to party members. The positions he occupied in the campaign organisation and the government made him to know party members in all the 177 wards.
Ekiti Central
The incumbent Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele will slug it out with the ex-Chief of Staff to Governor Kayode Fayemi, Mr. Biodun Omoleye, at the forthcoming APC primaries. Omoleye who resigned to run for the legislative seat, has made up his mind to drag the senatorial ticket with the incumbent. The Ijurin-born politician was one those eyeing the APC governorship ticket until he was persuaded by the party hierarchy to step for the party’s flag bearer in the June 18 governorship poll, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji.
Sources claim he left the governorship contest after been assured he will get the senatorial ticket. But, impeccable source in the party, said the promise was just a decoy to ensure Omoleye queued behind the aspiration of Oyebanji. It appears all the odds favour Bamidele, not only on account of his acceptability among the rank and files of the party but also his strong political network across 177 wards in the state which is needed by APC in the June 18 governorship poll.
Also, another factor that seems favours Bamidele is the fact that the incumbent federal lawmaker representing Ekiti West / Efon/ Ijeroconstituency in the House of Representatives, Barr. Wumi Ogunlola is seeking re-election. Both Omoleye and Ogunlola are from Ijero local government areas and the two elective seats cannot be ceded to the council at the detriment of the other councils. While Omoleye is from Ijurin-Ekiti, Ogunlola is from Ijero-Ekiti.
Political pundits opine that the only hope Omoleye’s senatorial ambition rested on is for the APC leadership in the state to prevail on Ogunlola to drop her ambition, which is unlikely. It was gathered that the APC leaders in Ijero council area prefer the House of Representatives seat and religiously rooting for Ogunlola to return to the House of Representative because of her sterling performance, unparalleled achievements and love for humanity.
In the PDP, it is only Alhaji Lateef Ajijola that purchased the expression of interest and nomination forms for Ekiti Central Senatorial seats as at the time of filing this report. So, it appears the primary will be a sole contest for the businessman turned politician.
The Ado-Ekiti born politician contested for the same PDP senatorial ticket in the 2015 general elections but lost narrowly to the eventual winner, Senator Fatimat Raji Rasaki. He gave Senator Raji-Rasaki a run for her money in the PDP primary but later went to court to challenge the senatorial primary election result which he claimed was manipulated in favour of his rival. But the result was upheld by the court. Ajijola will be riding on the political structures and fame of his leader, Fayose, who many believed conceded, the senatorial ticket to him as a payback for supporting him at the expense of Olujimi, his arch rival.
Ekiti North
The senatorial district comprises Ikole, Oye, Ilejemeje, Moba and Ido/Osi local government areas. It is the district of Governor Fayemi. The seat is currently occupied by an APC Senator, Olubunmi Adetunmbi. He is said to be seeking a return to the Senate for a third term. He is waiting for directives from Fayemi. Apart from Adetunmbi, other aspirants jostling for the legislative seat include ex-Director General of Buhari/Osinbajo Campaign Organization in Ekiti State Dr. Olusegun Osinkolu, and a former Senator, Dayo Arise.
Osinkolu contested and lost to Senator Adetunmbi in 2019. The Ayede-Ekiti born politician is back in the senatorial race and will slug it out with the incumbent occupant and Arise. He is popular across the senatorial district. Osinkolu has been reaching out to the people even beyond his party. He has a cut-like followership across the five council areas in the zone.
Before now, Osinkolu has been working to entrench himself within and outside the party across the senatorial district. So, it is believed that he remains a major stumbling block to the re-election bid of Adetunmbi. In the opposition PDP, nobody is known to have obtained the expression of intent and nomination forms. Activity in the party in the senatorial district as regards the race is at its lowest ebb.