Peter — no, not the Biblical Peter, the rock of the faith, that nevertheless denied Christ Jesus, thrice, before the crow of the cock. That was why Peter wept, bitterly and uncontrollably.
But this Peter is the crushed rock of Ekiti, the one who with fanfare promised stomach infrastructure, delivered little, if anything, but still pronounced himself the best to have happened to the Ekiti universe.
Peter Ayodele Fayose, self-named “Ebora to nje Jolof rice” (Jolof rice-wolfing demon) first wept, when he was putting up a show. His empty bubble of verbose boast was about bursting. It was virtual election eve, and defeat was starring him in the face. So, he conjured the first weeping: “I’m in pains,” he bleated, “I can’t take this any more!”
He claimed to have sustained broken neck, yet hung a broken arm on that neck! It was Tomfoolery special, made in Fayoseland!
Well, the second weeping would come much later, at the tail end of an inglorious reign, full of sound and fury, to parody William Shakespeare in the tragedy, Macbeth, signifying nothing. It was the last dinner that put an empty tenure in bold relief!
Outgoing Governor Fayose, barely 24 hours left in office, had arranged a full banquet, for his aides, cronies and allies, to come party. But voila! As at 12 midnight, only about 20 guests had shown up. All those who swore to go fight Fayose’s war, even if and when blind-folded, were nowhere near the party.
After all said and done, it was clear, power had long left Fayose before Fayose had even left power! It was a classic lesson on the emptiness of life without mission, and the futility of the Fayose governorship, though full of bombast, was focused on living to eat, rather than eating to live.
Or how else do you classify a government of stomach infrastructure, sans any notable legacy?
It was then Fayose, the Ekiti Peter, wept — and profusely too! How could he have made so much noise, in four long years, and left almost nothing to remember him by — except over-arching notoriety?
Whether Ekiti Kete have learned their lessons or not, they remain a living example in democratic wisdom and folly, as expressed during elections. You enjoy your wisdom. You endure your folly. The ballot, a good servant, might also be a terrible master. Fayose is living example!
With how Fayose had panned out, Ekiti would have taught other states to beware of electorally cutting their noses to spite their faces.
Still, with a new beginning, Fayose’s predecessor, now turned successor, must be wary of those earlier regime traits that gave Fayose the bounce to plague Ekiti. Instead of consolidating — as he would have done, had he got a direct second term, instead of Fayose’s ruinous interlude — Fayemi is fated to now start all over again.
Even if he recovers on the economic and development front, how far can he go, in four years, re-fixing Ekiti values, which Fayose manically pushed to the dogs?
Still, Ekiti would cherish its new beginning while Fayose continues with his essence of empty drama. Some folks do have them!