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No anointed candidate in Ekiti APC, says Ojudu

Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs Senator Babafemi Ojudu spoke with Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU on the political situation in the country, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s defection to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s struggle to displace the PDP from Ekiti State Government House.

How united is the All Progressives Congress (APC) as it warms up for 2019 elections?

We are determined. If you look at what happened in Kano few weeks ago when the president visited the state, you will know that we are ready for 2019. The president is as popular as ever.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has left your party and he said some chieftains will soon defect…

Atiku has left. No other person has followed. We don’t envisage other persons joining him in the PDP. Atiku has the right to take whatever decision he thinks is right as a person.

So, the defection will not affect your party in any way?

We would have loved to have him. In a democracy, the more, the merrier. Many other people will also join us. Many people are leaving the PDP for the APC and many more will come to the APC after its convention.

The PDP has alleged that you are fueling the crisis of zoning and micro-zoning in the party…

What is happening in their party is their internal affairs. We are not interested in what is going on there. It is a very analysis on their part to be accusing us of being behind whatever happens in their party. We are not interested. Our focus is on making sure that we fulfill all the promises we made to Nigerians before the term ends. We are busier in the APC than to be thinking about them.

Is your party not moving at a snail-speed in the course of fulfilling its promises to Nigerians?

We took our time to plan. We took our time to lay a good foundation. And we are executing now. We are making a difference. We came in and we were confronted with recession. We were to bring that recession to an end. There is nothing like snail speed. We think that this time around, we should put some things on ground and what we put on ground should last. That is our concern.

What is the political situation in your state, Ekiti?

The place is agog. Many people are coming out to vie for governor next year. They are realising that Fayose is not good for their health. Some of us are also working to unite members of our party, to see that we can only be victorious when we are united.

If 50 people are struggling for one job, will that not spell doom or disaster for the party?

No. I think what is happening is a certain kind of strategy for some. Some want to be councillors, House of Assembly members. Some want to be commissioners. Some want to become House of Representatives member. Someone wants to become the Secretary to Government. They need to be noticed. They need to be seen to be contesting for the bigger office. That will then give them opportunity to negotiate when the time comes. Seriously, the serious aspirants are not more than four.

Who are the four?

I wouldn’t want to mention names. But, I know I am one of the four.

It is being speculated that the national leadership of your party and indeed, President Muhammadu Buhari, have an anointed candidate in Ekiti APC…

Anybody who knows President Muhammadu Buhari will tell you that he is a very fair person. He is not a kind of person who will want to impose somebody. That tells you that it is a big lie from the pit of hell. Even, in matters involving the APC and the PDP, President Buhari has not been partial. He has said that anyone contesting should go out there and canvass, make his viewpoints known; go there and sell yourself and your programmes. The electorate will then decide. Buhari can only support the candidate after he has won the ticket of the party at the primary. If anybody tells you that Buhari is sponsoring him, or he has endorsed him or the national headquarter of the party has endorsed him is lying. I do not believe that. I am in a position to know. I am not a baby in the party. I am in a position to know. The president has not discussed this with anybody. He has not endorsed anybody.

The president is a political animal. Why would you say he will not be interested in an aspirant?

I am telling you this. All of us are members of this party. We are like his own persons. What he wants us to do is: go out there and sell yourself. And let the party members choose the person that is better, or the best as the flag bearer of the party. After that, the president can say, as a party man, as a leader of the party, he will support the candidate that will emerge. Anything other than that is not true.

What has led to that speculation in the first instance?

It is the people who are weak on the ground, people who are not self-confident who are peddling rumours. I do not know why any member of my generation will say that he needs crutches, that he cannot go out there on his own to say that he is capable; and say, I understand the problem of Ekiti people. And then, he markets himself. Now, you are saying you need to be imposed; you need somebody to come and hold you and lead you to the people. It is uncalled for. It is unnecessary. Go there and contest. Anybody that is above 30 years is qualified. So, you want to go and govern a state and you are now lying to the people that the president has endorsed you; that it is the president that is sponsoring you. I think that is unfair to the President of Nigeria.

As we prepare for 2019, is Ekiti that very critical to the APC?

It is very critical because the progressive viewpoints dominate in the Southwest. There was an aberration, which is the PDP controlling a state. The state has to be taken back to the progressives. We are working very hard to take the state back.

The primary will hold around April next year. What are your expectations?

My expectation is that we must conduct ourselves very well. There would ba a level playing ground. We will eshew violence. We will go out vigorously to market our people and let our party members decide who will be the winner. At my age, my engagement, my experience in this country, nobody is sponsoring me. I am sponsoring myself. I am working within a collective of Ekiti people who feel that things are going wrong in Ekiti State and they need to be corrected. I am first among equals. We are going out there to fight. We are going to fight in a decent way.

What are the lessons of the 2014 poll, which your party should learn and the pitfalls that should be averted in next year’s election in Ekiti?

We have conducted a study. We have set up a committee to study why what happened then happened. We are studying the document. We are studying how we can apply ourselves to the act of wining Ekiti. We are communicating with the people, engaging them. We will not look down on them. We will study and find solutions to their problems. Ekiti knows who can stand up to Fayose and drive him out of the place, who can say no, Fayose will not have his way again. We don’t want a surrogate Fayose next year. We want somebody who will plan well, execute well and restore the glory of Ekiti State.

Why is your party not participating in the local government elections?

If you look at the local government elections across the country, it is like chasing after a mirage. The figures are written in governors’ offices. In particular, Fayose is intolerant of the opposition. He is the one appointing candidates for the elections. The electoral officers are his leg men and women. So, why waste your time? We are preparing for next year’s election, which will be conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission. We are more confident about that, unlike what is conducted by the state electoral commission. For me, although I don’t know what the party will do tomorrow, I think it will be foolish to participate in the local government polls.

If the PDP governorship candidate is coming from Ikere and his running mate is coming from Ado-Ekiti as it is being proposed by Governor Ayodele Fayose, will that affect the calculations and permutations of the APC?

The only thing that will do for the APC is that, if the PDP is picking its candidate from Ikere, the APC should pick its candidate from Ado-Ekiti. As you know, Ado-Ekiti, of all the local governments, has the largest electoral vote. It is almost three or more times bigger than that of Ikere. It will be foolhardy for our party to leave Ado-Ekiti and go and pick its candidates from other places. Ado and Ikere hasve the largest electoral votes. So, if Fyose picks the PDP candidate from Ikere and his deputy from Ado, and the APC picks its candidate from somewhere, it means you are leaving it for the PDP. But, if Fayose picks his candidate from Ikere and his deputy from Ado, and the APC picks its candidate from Ado, you know you are on the path to winning. It is a logical calculation. In Ekiti State, Ado determines who wins and becomes the governor of the state.

What is your chance at the primary?

It is very bright. We are working very hard. We are not there yet. But, we are going to be there. We have our strategies. We have set up structures. There is no structure now on ground than our own. We are everywhere that we have to be. Nobody comes to us because he wants to chop. All those working with us are committed. We have fanatical supporters because of our agenda. We have a strong agenda. I am the only one who had defeated Fayose in the whole of Ekiti. I led the push for his removal when he was maltreating our people. I am the only one who can stand up to him to say, what you are doing, we are not going to tolerate it. I am the only one who can vchase him out of that state. We are mobilizing efforts in Ekiti, Nigeria and outside Nigeria that will sent him packing in July next year.

Individual aspirants are nurturing their structures. Why are they not collectively building the party?

I can talk about myself. I have been moving around preaching unity; to pacify people. I have been visiting our leaders. A couple of weeks ago, I went to see the Elders’ Forum. I had a passionate discussion with them on the need to bring everybody together. We need to come together to end Fayose’s bad governance. My group does not attack anybody. We are canvassing our position. We are offering our agenda to the people. We are everywhere trying to enlighten people.

Generally, what is your message to Ekiti as the state warms up for the election?

There are few aspirants trying to offend one another. That should stop. One person will represent us in the election coming up next year. And all of us have to queue behind that person. If we make enemies of ourselves now, it will affect our push to get the PDP out. So, I am calling for unity, purposefulness of action, patriotism on the part of members of the APC so that our votes, our energies and strength will not be divided. In unity, we can win that election. If we are united, taking Fayose out will not be difficult for us. So, we must stand up in unity.

December 14, 2017
Ekiti governorship: Carnival as Ojudu accepts to contest
THE quest to get a credible leader that would redirect Ekiti State to an enviable track that guarantees socio-economic liberation for the bewildered people is fast gaining audible volume. The leaders are putting heads together just as the youths so as to sieve through the array of aspirants currently jostling for the state’s top job.

Unlike ever before, the people seem to be speaking with one voice on the need to provide a common front to oust the incumbent government that they believe has only brought poverty, squalor and a reign of terror to their domain. They clamor to install a government of the people with a clear vision to move the state to excellence. However, going by recent events in the state, it appears that with Senator Babafemi Ojudu, Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, emerging on the scene, the search has further narrowed down.

As you traverse the state from the North, West, East and the Southern part of the state, the chant on every mouth is ERO, acronym for Ekiti Rebirth Organisation, a group led by Chief Ranti Adebisi (aka Opomulero) with the mandate to ensure that a tested hand, capable of lifting the state from the current abyss, emerge in the coming gubernatorial election, already slated for July 14, 2018.

And since ERO rolled out the drum around March 2017, it has remained unwavering in his choice of Ojudu as the preferred aspirant for the job. From the city to the towns down to the villages and farm settlements, the message has been that the people should be focused, resolute and vote for a change from doom to boom. Even now that the number of aspirants in each of the two major parties in the state, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), keep swelling by the day, ERO is straight on message that the best aspirant for Ekiti governorship seat is Senator Babafemi Ojudu, who according to Chief Adebisi, has “an unmatchable credentials and unfettered antecedent far beyond what you can get among all other aspirants put together.”

Ojudu seems to have actually paid his dues. This he demonstrated in his first outing into elective position of the senate, representing Ado Central Senatorial Zone in 2011 when he defeated the incumbent governor, Ayo Fayose, who competed with him in the race, flat and hands down.

Also working for him is his decision not to run for a second term in the senate in 2015. “I am not too happy with the situation I found myself in the Senate. For the four years I was there, I found myself manacled. I couldn’t really operate the way I liked because the leadership of the Senate at that time had already marked me and would not want me to air my views. I would want to talk but they would not allow me until I resolved to be raising point of order to ensure I have my voice once in a while,” he recently explained.

To many, this is a decision that only an honest and credible leader could take in a country where political office is seen by many as opportunity to loot, syphon and launder money at the expense of the masses. Ojudu’s past involvements in sundry other activities channeled towards installing stability and good governance in the state has also scored him a high point.

Even as the crowd is gaining daily strength in the quest for Ojudu leading the state from next year when the current administration is billed to expire, the presidential aide has been silent in declaring to contest for the governorship position. Rather than throw in his cap and assuage the simmering zeal of the electorates, Ojudu felt that declaring ambition to run was secondary and that effort should first be concentrated on rebuilding his party, the APC, and refocusing Ekiti State for the challenges ahead.

Using his office as the Adviser on Political Affairs to the President to reach out to APC loyalists, he has been preaching peace, unity, respect for party leaders and cohesion among party loyalists across the three senatorial zones of the state in the past nine months. He has taken his messages to the elders, the youths and the women .

But agitation for Ojudu to contest the next governorship election in the state assumed another resonance recently as 24 youth groups gathered in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State capital, to declare support for him to run as governor.

In their hundreds, they converged at the Fajuyi Town Hall near the Ewi of Ado Ekiti Palace to prevail on the Ado Ekiti born politician to be their leader. The youths declared that they are fed up with the lingering shenanigans in governance and its attendant negative effect on the people. They want a leader of Ojudu’s mold for the mission to salvage Ekiti from its present abyss.

In a letter captioned ‘The Ekiti State we Want, Letter of Partnership Presented to Senator Babafemi Ojudu’, the youths wrote thus:

“Whereas the land of Ekiti is flowing with milk and honey, whereas, the land is blessed with abundant resources, both natural and human, yet little is tapped and developed towards building an egalitarian society where everything works.

“Consequently, majority of the inhabitants still live in abject poverty despite the fact that the land is capable of making many rich.

“Therefore, all hands must be on deck to restore the fortune of our dear state and uphold her honour and glory. This certainly calls for partnership with the best hand in Ekiti towards improved service delivery in government and governance. Ojudu could not hold back emotions. He stepped into the crowd from the podium and danced with the youths.

Retiring back to the podium, he expressed delight in the confidence reposed in him by the youths and promised to yield their call to service.

“I have never shied away from service whenever I see things going wrong. This is my state. My parents are from Ekiti State. Ekiti people have a tradition of decency, humility and intelligence. We are gradually losing all that to bad leadership and sincerely, something has to be done to rescue our state from this path to perdition. We need to work together, as youths, as stakeholders and as brothers and sisters to liberate ourselves from the shackles of economic ruins and the shame associated with it. We need to reclaim our glory.

“I will offer myself to serve you. We have no business with poverty. We have arable land that can grow any crop. We will work on our youths and improve their standard of living. We will fix all the loosing ends and present a better state we all can be proud of at the end of service,” Ojudu assured.

Not done yet, the youths presented a booklet containing their hand written names and phone numbers as a mark of genuine resolve and challenge Ojudu to feel free to call any of them at any time from his base in Abuja.

Earlier, the elders of the APC had converged in another town; Igbara Odo, to declare support for the ‘Home Boy’ who has over time been resolute in the struggle to liberate the state and the country. At the residence of one of the elders, Chief George Akosile, the group said the state is in a fix and require a brave person to lead it out of the woods.

According to Akosile “we believe you will use your resources to our advantage. We want you to do whatever you can do to take us out of our present situation. We are currently in captivity in Ekiti. We know you are not a political jobber. You are a lover of Ekiti, a committed lover of Ekiti community who has really uplifted the state.

Akosile also said: “You are not the ‘ore mekunu to nmu ogogoro kiri (Friend of the masses that drinks local gin around town). Before it was raw rice he was distributing but now it is the cooked one. He has turned our people to beggars.”

The elders took turn to pour their minds out on the need for urgent change in government. They called for cohesion among the array of aspirants in the APC to present a vibrant candidate acceptable to the generality of the people. Ojudu promised to run.
- Adeoye, an information practitioner, wrote in from Ado Ekiti
November 26, 2017
Ekiti 2018: Ojudu as catalyst

In this piece, Segun Dipe explains why Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs Senator Babafemi Ojudu should serve as the next governor of Ekiti State.

Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.” –Mahatma Ghandi

Political activities are on the upbeat again in Ekiti State, where the accidental governor, Ayo Fayose, a sneaky fellow, will soon wind down his nefarious reign and is constitutionally barred from contesting for the same position again. To cover his devious tracks on exit, Fayose has embarked on a game of puppetry, throwing up a surrogate in his deputy, Kolapo Olusola, in spite of other willing aspirants from the ruling People’s Democratic Party. How far Olusola, a Professor of Building Technology, can navigate against the run of the tide, is left for sane minds to discern, and the cataclysmic effect of such venture is better left imagined than experienced.

Come 14 July 2018, election will hold and it will be lost and won. A governor will emerge, predictably from among the opposition-progressives. It is necessary to remind the progressives what they must look out for in the choice of who leads the onslaught to totally clinch the already half-won victory. The mission is two-pronged: to rescue and to remedy. Such a person must not be seeking fame and attention at this point, yet he must be bold and resolute in his ambition. He must be prepared to first conquer disunity and disconnect within the party, he must be ready to change the character of politics in the state to promote fertile ground for ideas and reforms and he must show the signs that he is coming to improve moral standards in government and society to provide a strong foundation for good governance.

I agree with those who see politics as war. But it should be war of ideology, to be fought with brain, not brawn. War of wits, of verve, vigour, charisma and of integrity. I had once observed that being the next governor of Ekiti State after a rough rider like Fayose is herculean and largely unrewarding. Such a person will be spending quality time clearing filthy stalls. He must therefore be a self-actualized and fully functioning person. He must be a dogged fighter who is not lily-livered and willing to throw himself into the ring, not necessarily for the lure of lucre but for the good of all. Ekiti is indeed hungry and thirsty for a versatile leader, with a curious mind and humble enough to accommodate other’s viewpoints in charting the way forward.

Politics is not a child’s play, it is better left to the grown ups. Neither can it be played at some level of rookery. The world is full of aspiring political leaders but, sadly, very few live up to the leadership ideals. In fact, many political leaders seem to severely lack some of the most important leadership qualities, such as self-assurance, integrity and accountability. Such a person that must confront Fayose must be someone who would be ready to hold him accountable for his misdeeds. The person must ensure that once the election has been won, the progressives, in their best intentions, would no longer lose their hard-won power to the conservatives. He must be able to provide a high-levelled resistance against such future onslaught.

From my permutations, the strongest and most popular political formation to beat the Fayose-led PDP hands down in the July 14 2018 governorship election can only be led by Senator Babafemi Ojudu, the present Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters and a member of the Senate of Nigeria in the 7th National Assembly (2011-2015). My reasons are not far-fetched. Ojudu has an unmatched pro-democratic credential. He is a bold and brilliant journalist, an unrepentant democrat and a dyed-in-the-wool progressive. He has paid his dues in the struggle for the emancipation of his people at both the national and the state levels. I see Ojudu as the political Sun Tzu of Ekiti politics. His belief and consistency in ensuring that only the best is good enough for Ekiti is legendary. The whole state is his constituency. He does not dither, you will always know where he stands on any issue.

It is a common knowledge that Ojudu has shown more than passing interest in who becomes the governor of Ekiti State since the beginning of the Fourth Republic. At the same time, he has involved himself in struggles that checkmate anyone who mis-rules or rigs his way through. Ojudu has never lost any political battle. He came into politics with a strong resume in Human Rights activism. Recently, he called on all Ekiti indigenes to join hands and work to rescue the state from political slavery. Such is his unflinching passion for the survival of the state of his birth.

Since this is not the time to make idealistic promises but realistic claims, Ojudu is still the only tested and trusted one with the magic wand to outwit Fayose in any political contest as many times as possible. Ask Fayose who his Achilles’ heel in his political adventurism is, and he would readily mention the name of Babafemi Ojudu, who once led the team that chased him (Fayose) out of the town in the booth of a car, when he was becoming larger than life and turning himself to the Hitler of Ekiti. Again, in the 2011 Senatorial election for the Ekiti Central Senatorial seat, Ojudu exposed Fayose’s political vulnerability by beating him hands down to emerge the winner. Ojudu polled 67,747 running on the ACN platform, while Ayo Fayose came a distant second, receiving 29,773 votes and almost beaten by Kayode Alufa coming on his heels with 29,488 votes.

After conceding defeat, third-placed Alufa congratulated Ojudu, saying: “Our God in his wisdom has chosen you with your experience and good credentials, which I am sure you will deploy for the service and improvement of our impoverished area.” I guess Fayose himself has since realised this weak link in his political career and finds a face-off with Ojudu a nightmare, so much that he won’t mind sponsoring aspirants against Ojudu, even within the progressive fold.

Ojudu is thus not an alien to the type of political struggle ahead. He fears no foe and is better referred to as Arogunmatidi (the fearless one) of Ekiti politics. On so many occasions, he has put himself into such an uncomfortable situation for his people, whether or not he would be the direct beneficiary. He has fought side-by-side the strongest and the best in the human rights circle. He has done this severally and on several occasions, even when it was the least expedient for him. He is both dreaded and respected in several fields, including journalism, arts, business and politics.

Pre-1999, Ojudu was at the forefront of the democratic struggle that eventually routed out the military from power. When in 1992 Ojudu resigned from Concord Newspaper, it was in protest of a request by Basorun M.K.O. Abiola, the publisher that he, along with other editors, should apologise to then President Ibrahim Babangida over an article critical of the military regime. In 1993 Ojudu and other former workers from African Concord established The News magazine, with Ojudu as its first Managing Editor.

Years later, when Babangida said he was interested in running for president in the 2011 democratic elections, fearless Ojudu raised the people’s angst against him, asking every Nigerian who wanted progress for the country to resist the second coming of Babangida to rule the nation. He said Babangida “does not have anything good to offer us. We have suffered enough in his hands… He is a trickster. Look at how many journalists were killed during his time. Look at what he did to our colleagues (journalists)… Look at what happened to our institutions when he was around. He destroyed the system and he is now seeking to come back.”

Ojudu plays politics of ideology. He is not an “igi da eiye fo” politician. He is consistently progressive, which he sees more as a movement than a platform just to realise an ambition. He is unwaveringly involved in the party that started from the AD to AC to ACN and eventually transmuted to APC. It is on record that he has neither dithered nor oscillated between progressivism and conservatism since he joined politics. His hatred for PDP and all that the party represents is unparalleled. Neither does he have any history of betrayal in politics. Rather, he is loyal to a fault.

Two clinical examples of when Ojudu’s loyalty had been tested were, firstly, in 1999 when he refused to support Gani Fawehinmi, who had earlier assisted in founding The News Magazine with a contribution of N25,000, in his campaign against Bola Tinubu, for whom he had pledged his support. When Tinubu got elected Lagos State Governor, Fawehinmi demanded a refund of his money. Secondly, when he was appointed the Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, his leader Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu was out of the country, Ojudu chose to wait for his arrival to personally brief him and receive his blessing before accepting to serve.

Bold and brilliant Ojudu was arrested, detained and tortured to the point of death several times during the Sani Abacha regime (1993–1998). Ojudu was arrested and detained for three days at the notorious Shangisha Prison in the outskirts of Lagos on 11 August 1996. Later in 1996, Ojudu went to the USA for six months as a fellow at the School of Communications, Howard University, Washington, D.C. On his return in June 1997 he was appointed Group Managing Editor of Independent Communications Network Ltd, publishers of The News, P.M. News and Tempo.

Ojudu was arrested on 17 November 1997 after returning from a conference in Kenya. He had the opportunity of staying behind in exile like some other activists. But despite his knowledge of being on the junta’s wanted list, he resisted the suggestion that he stayed behind and returned home to the waiting hands of his predators. In July 1998 (after the death of Abacha) it was reported that he was suffering from typhoid fever and jaundice, both life-threatening, caused by the unsanitary conditions in which he was detained and denial of access to medication.

It is not a coincidence in our clime that for many people, the word “politician” has such negative connotations. However, there are still a few who come close to the leadership ideals and who are good examples of an effective political leader. Most of all, leadership in a political framework requires ‘statesmanship’ as opposed to just being a ‘politician.’ This means having the integrity and willingness to stand up for what is right, even if it means resigning a position in government or ceding an election. Ojudu has proven this on many occasions.

But despite his strength of character, Ojudu has conscience and he is selfless. He is persuasive and not coercive. He focuses on coalition and building. Ironically, his effectiveness as a leader results from not being a hustler. Rather than using manipulation to get what he wants, he uses inspiration and motivation. Several times, he has planted trees, under whose shade he never thought of basking.

Accountability is crucial to effective political leadership, as without this, there will be no respect from the followers. A good political leader is someone who will be honest and responsible for their own actions and decisions and who is willing to admit when they have made a mistake. They will focus their energies and time on representing the people rather than spending all the time “covering their backs” and criticising others.

Leadership in the political framework requires a focus on the long-term good of a people, above and ahead of any personal short-term gains. Good political leadership requires a combination of charisma and integrity, as well as the ability to assess a situation and make a decision based on what would be best for the greatest number of people.

Ojudu is undoubtedly a revolutionary. He would always argue that only resoluteness, compassion and selflessness would enable the progressives to win the election. As a political leader, he is of strong character, with both conscience and charisma. He is endowed with good communication and inter-personal skills. He is someone with the courage to stand up and say what needs to be said, rather than just tell the general public what they want to hear. He is someone who is willing to make difficult (and possibly unpopular) decisions for the greater good.

Given the chance, Ojudu will work with a range of other people, regardless of political ideology or opinion, to achieve the greatest good for the general population. He is someone who can resist the various temptations and lures of the political arena, someone who serves as an example of integrity and loyalty to the people he represents, and even other political leaders. He is willing to listen to the needs of the common people and to represent them faithfully, without flinching. Ojudu knows the value of power and how it can be shared without leaving out anyone out among his people. His position is that no one, high or low, should languish in powerlessness.

November 17, 2017
Fayemi, Oni, Ojudu, Oluyede sad

MINISTER of Mines and Steel Development Kayode Fayemi and a presidential aide, Senator Femi Ojudu, have commiserated with the National Leader of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, over the death of his first son, Jide.

APC Deputy National Chairman (South), Chief Segun Oni and a governorship aspirant in the party in Ekiti State, Dr. Wole Oluyede, also expressed their condolences on the death of Tinubu’s son.

Fayemi in a statement by his media aide, Olayinka Oyebode, expressed shock over the sudden death of Jide, describing the development as “extremely sad and disheartening”.

He urged the APC leader and the entire family to remain strong during this trying time, while praying that God would heal the wound.

Ojudu said: “I received with shock and great sadness earlier today the news of the demise of Mr. Jide Tinubu, the son of our leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“My heart and prayers are with Asiwaju and his family at this time of grief. May the soul of Mr. Jide Tinubu rest in perfect peace. Amen.”

Oni, in a statement by his media aide, Steve Alabi, in Ado-Ekiti said: “I received the sad news of the death of Jide Tinubu, the son of our National Leader, Senator Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, “with great shock and grief”.

“I condole with our National Leader and former governor of Lagos State, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the entire family, it is never easy losing a child or any loved one.

“We pray Almighty Allah (SWT) grant the late Jide eternal rest.”

Oluyede, in a statement from his campaign organization, urged Asiwaju Tinubu to take heart on the death of his beloved son, saying “all Nigerians are sharing this moment of grief with the political icon”.

The APC aspirant on behalf of his family offered condolences to the Tinubu family on the sad development.

November 3, 2017
Ojudu and the quest for a stronger APC

The convoy of about a dozen vehicles entered quietly into Ise, a sleepy community in the South Senatorial District of Ekiti State, ostensibly for a crucial business. The team leader, Babafemi Ojudu, Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, sat calmly at the back of a black SUV, his head buried in a newspaper.

The All Progressives Congress, APC, his party, is still battling to recover from the loss of grip on power to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in 2014 and the need to seek for unity and cohesion among the APC members who seem lost following backlash of the party’s performance at the governorship poll.

Ojudu has always been at the vanguard of every struggle to install sanity to the state at any point of disorder. He was there for the people in 2006 at the peak of PDP misrule which earned the state a bad press as a result of the reign of terror inflicted on the people by the then PDP government headed by Ayodele Fayose. His intervention then led to the ouster of that government and the subsequent struggle that eventually brought back Dr Kayode Fayemi after a protracted legal battle that rectified the rigged election of 2007.

According to Ojudu, the time for APC in the state to embrace unity is now. He noted that the confidence reposed in the party in 1999 was bungled on the altar of internal wrangling and self-criticism, which gave the opposition the needed leeway to hijack power and throw the progressives into disarray.

To break away from the past to form a formidable party that would take over power from the incumbent in the June 2018 governorship election in the state, the presidential aide called for the building of strong leaders at all segments of the party. Ojudu said these leaders at the local level would provide guidance for those at the national level, in arriving at democratic decisions.

He pleaded that all members should work towards cohesion and ensure that all aggrieved members are brought back into the fold ahead of the coming elections.

Ojudu noted at the various stops in Omuo, Agbado, Emure and Ise before retiring to his home town, Ado Ekiti, that liberating Ekiti State is the task of all people of voting age as no Nigerian from other states will come and help them out of the abyss.

“There is always a problem in any society where there is no middle class because the people in the middle class are the one that drives the society. They are very critical to the progress of the land. They are the one that envision the vision. Once you have a house to live, the car to drive around, you can train your children in school and you can feed adequately, all you think about is progress, love, decency. That is what the middle class represent.

“But when a man is in poverty, he has no choice. You can ride rod shod on him. He takes whatever is offered him, even if it is poison. And that is the trick Fayose is using on our people. The people are held down to be manipulated and it is not their fault,” he said.

And as Ojudu speaks, the pressure mounted on him to throw in his cap in the on-going agitation for the Oke Ayaba Government house. The people expressed confidence in his ability to deliver. They believe Ojudu is the one with what it takes to confront Fayose who many believe could go to any length unimaginable to ensure retention of power by the PDP.

But The Ado Ekiti born politician has these to say: “I am a believer in due process. As at today, what is permitted for politicians in Ekiti is holding consultations, which is what I am doing. The election time table is not yet released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and I don’t intend to flaunt the electoral law. So, when the time comes, I will still hold further consultation to ask the people the role they want me to play in the coming election in Ekiti.

“But one thing is sure. I will remain in this party to ensure that we get back our mandate from the present government. I will remain in APC and join hands with other progressives to ensure we get the best for the Ekiti people. I am very sure that whoever emerge as the governorship candidate for the APC in Ekiti will be a progressive. We shall all work for whoever emerge and collectively rescue Ekiti from the present shenanigans.

August 6, 2017
Ojudu to Fayose: stop playing God on Buhari’s health

Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Babafemi Ojudu, has advised Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose to key into empowerment programmes of the Federal Government to better the lot of his people.

Ojudu warned Fayose to stop playing God on the health of President Muhammadu Buhari “through doomsday predictions that the nation’s No. 1 citizen will die and unfounded allegation that he is on a life support machine.”

The presidential aide said the All Progressives Congress (APC) would return to power in 2018, to give good governance.

Ojudu who addressed reporters during a media breakfast in his Ado-Ekiti residence on Sunday, identified such empowerment programmes as School Feeding Programme, Rice Outgrowers Scheme, Cocoa Farm Renewal Scheme, Emergency Relief Fund, among others, which other states enjoy.

He claimed Fayose has not shown interest in the schemes, which will benefit Ekiti residents, but rather turned himself into an “opposition leader.”

The presidential adviser noted that Fayose is embarrassing his people by mocking Buhari’s health challenges, warning him to “stop playing God on the President’s health.”

Ojudu said: “A governor is supposed to govern and provide good governance for the people who elected him and not to be wishing the President dead. It is not the duty of a governor to be telling Nigerians the President will soon die, that he is on life support.

“If the governor (Fayose) wishes the President dead, it is not reasonable; when the governor abuses the President everyday, that is not the way we are brought up in Yoruba land where we always wish a sick person quick recovery.

“Why will somebody arrogate the power of God to himself? Nobody knows who will die tomorrow and why do our governor always wish the President dead? Are you his doctor, are you his God? Why will somebody arrogate God’s power to himself, that individual is not a normal human being and that is insanity.”

Ojudu stressed that Buhari has been transparent on his health, and transmits power to the Vice President anytime he travels on medical vacation, a scenario different from the late President Umaru Yar’Adua’s administration.

July 31, 2017
It is time to send locusts out of Ekiti, says Ojudu

The Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, has charged all well-meaning Ekiti people to prepare to send the present government packing with their votes in the next governorship election. This, he said, would pave way for meaningful development of the state.

He said this at separate meetings held with All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders, party executives and other stakeholders in some of the local governments that make up the Ekiti South Senatorial District at the weekend in continuation of his community mobilisation outreach programme which he kick-started in Ekiti North earlier in the year.

According to the Special Adviser, Ekiti has suffered for too long under the current political leadership, subjecting the state to untold ridicule and exposing sons and daughters at home and abroad to embarrassment of the highest order.

He informed his audiences at the various locations where he was received with fanfare that with the cantankerous and combative stance of the present administration, the state is losing out on billions of naira that could have come in form of support from many of the intervention initiatives by the federal government to cushion the effect of the recession and restore the economic health of the nation.

He listed some of these as taking full advantage of the free rice mill programme, the free school feeding programme, the cocoa plantation renewal scheme, the free tractor and land clearing programmes, the rice out grower scheme, among others.Ojudu noted at the various stops in Omuo, Agbado, Emure and Ise that liberating Ekiti State is the task of all citizens of voting age.

Reacting to his charge, the stakeholders expressed appreciation to him for taking the time out to share vital information on what the state can benefit from the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration and his promise of support to chase out the PDP-led administration in the state.

July 30, 2017
Ojudu’s whirlwind shuttle for peace, good governance in Ekiti
LIKE the Phoenix magical bird, the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Ekiti State, is resurrecting to reclaim its mandate from the incumbent Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as Babafemi Ojudu, Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, storm the state with message of ‘Unity to Repossess’.

The visit, which was at the prompting of some youths in the Ekiti North Senatorial District, featured consultative meetings with stakeholders at all levels, visits to party chieftains and traditional rulers, all with the aim to sanitising the APC in that domain in preparation for the governorship election slated for June 2018.

According to one of the facilitators of the tour, Engr. Micheal Oluwagbemi, “The suffering is much; the poverty is so endemic that we need to throw in our caps, as youths and technocrats in the state, to find a way around the current shenanigans going on. Our people are being blindfolded to real governance. Daily, they are being annoyingly shielded from the actual realities of governance and we are here saying enough is enough.”

According to him, the fight for order and fair play in Ekiti State cuts across party identity. “It is a fight we must collectively engage in, as youths of Ekiti State to ensure, as well as guarantee a better future both for ourselves and our children.”

And to suggest an agreement among the youths, the reception of Ojudu was tumultuous. From all parts of Ekiti State, youths converged in their thousands, in Ikole, Ikole Local Government Headquarters, to receive the former Senator, who is now the mouthpiece of the presidency on political affairs.

From the palace of the Elekole of Ikole, Oba James Adewumi Ajibade Fasiku, the Aladesekole 1, paramount ruler of Egbeoba Kingdom where Ojudu was given a royal welcome in company with his large entourage to Ipao Ekiti, Odo Oro, Usi and back to Ikole, venue of the reception, it was a message of cohesion and unity, the lack of which was accepted by all as the fulcrum of the present predicament.

At the Palace of Elekole, Ojudu declared: “I’m glad to pass this message of hope to leaders of our great party, the All Progressives Congress, in Ekiti State. I am glad to speak to millions of our supporters, our sympathisers, our members, our potential allies and the amazing people of Ekiti whose hope has been dashed and who, as I can see, are anxiously waiting to benefit from the new dawn across the nation.

“My message is straight and simple. First, I wish to thank our leaders and our compatriots for their steadfastness and their perseverance. I must commend your efforts over the years. I thank you for keeping the flag flying, regardless of the major setback in 2014.

“The poverty and want in our land is staring us in the face. The misery in the land is tormenting. We have to provide the required alternative, driven by the people. We have a bigger challenge before us. We have a mountain to climb. We have a destiny to fulfil. Our people in Ekiti are waiting for us. As 2018 approaches, the electorates are anxious. But they are also worried about the real and imagined divisions among us.

“The future of our great party lies in our unity. We are getting ready for another pitched battle. We cannot afford to go to the field divided. We need unity of ideas, unity of personalities.”

With these words, Ojudu set the ball rolling as the APC leaders and the youth leaders took their turn in pouring their grievances as well as proffering ways to form a formidable front to reclaim the fortunes of the party in coming elections.

The meetings which were with party exco, APC Youth Movement, party dignitaries, religious leaders, community leaders, students, professionals and artisan groups, market women and men, etc, dealt critically with every obstacles inhibiting the party on the path of progress and how to resolve them and get a common front to wrestle power from the incumbent Governor Ayodele Fayose, perceived by many to be the clog on the wheel of Ekiti progress.

A renowned APC stalwart in the state commended Ojudu for the peace initiative, warning that the party first needs to be united before going to any election.

“This is a good initiative and I have been waiting for this day to come but beyond this visit you people at the top that all of us are watching in Ekiti must close your ranks. When people see you dining together, it will trickle down and all the divisions will disappear and our party will be strong, very strong again to present a common front to unseat the PDD in our state”, Abejide said

Another stalwart, Bunmi Ogunleye, who received Ojudu, in his residence in company with all the exco and youth leaders across the state, promised loyalty to the ace journalist and encouraged him to continue the good work.

“I am assuring you that you always have the support of the youth of Ekiti State. I have personally tested you and I am convinced, just like the teeming youth that I lead, that you are a true ambassador of this state. We need someone like you in government. We need someone like you to be our leader. We need someone like you as our governor. And we pray this will come to pass one day,” he said

At the consultative sessions, stakeholders took turn to suggest how to reconcile various factions of APC in the state and how the Federal Government can assist in bringing development to local communities.

Speaking with journalists after the consultations, Ojudu said: “The people are obviously yearning for change and the response I got from the people, from our consultations, from our visitations, is that people are ready for the change. We have seen the burning desire in them to experience a change from the present bondage and enslavement. We tried to allay their fears and let them realise that if we are able to organise ourselves, we shall once again recover the state from those who are riding rod shod on it and put Ekiti back on track once again.

“Fayose had come, held down the Ekiti people and continue to rape them. So, each time I see him, I see the image of a rapist. That’s what I see. The society is bleeding.”
- Adeoye, a political analyst, writes
May 7, 2017
Ojudu: Buhari has delivered on corruption fight

Senator Babafemi Ojudu is the Special Adviser on Political Matters to President Muhammadu Buhari. In this interview with reporters in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), he speaks on the face off between the executive and the legislature, particularly the refusal of the Senate to confirm Ibrahim Magu as the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the rift with the Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd), among other issues.

What’s your comment on the Senate’s handling of the Ibrahim Magu’s and the Hameed Ali’s affairs?

I hate to criticise an institution in which I have served and where I still have many friends and colleagues. How I wish these issues have been handled more carefully and in a manner in which the image of the institution won’t be tarnished. The reactions I have read both on social media and the traditional media about the conduct and handling of these matters have been unsavory and not complimentary to the image of this noble institution.

How would react to the insinuation that President Buhari is not taking on critics of his administration, including Fayose, Wike and Fani-Kayode?

We are in a democracy. The people, whether high or low, are entitled to their opinion about government and its activities. The people too, who are consuming these opinions and criticisms, are enlightened and equipped enough with the antecedents of these individuals to know what much store to set by what they say. I think it was former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill who said you do not stop to throw stone at every dog that barks at you. If you do, you won’t get to your destination. Our concern is to work assiduously to solve the problems confronting Nigerians and as you can see we are beginning to get results. So, let those who want to bark continue to bark until they lose their vocal chords.

Why has the APC not deemed it fit to call Saraki to order?

Saraki is the President of Nigerian Senate and he is a member and leader in my party, the APC. If I have anything to say about how he conducts himself either as President of the Senate or leader in our party, I will walk up to him and say so. That is what decency and decorum demands when you belong to same party and holds positions of responsibility in a government run by your party.

By May, the Buhari administration will be two years in office. Would you say it is on good standing with the people, in terms of performance?

I can confidently say that when it comes to fighting corruption this government has done its bit. It is left for the other arms of government, the judiciary and the legislature, to do theirs. In all ways, President Buhari has demonstrated his readiness and preparedness to fight corruption. But, the executive cannot do it alone. You need the legislature to come up with the enabling laws, the security apparatus to carry out its investigation and the judiciary to carry out the trial expeditiously. If President Buhari begins to fight the war against corruption without carrying the other arms of government along, we know what the noise will be. It is you people who will start shouting that he has come again; he is a dictator; he has jettisoned the rule of law and all that. The government has even gone further to introduce the whistleblower initiative, to assist in providing information on the activities of looters. I think within the limits of what we have now the President has acquitted himself in the fight against corruption.

Why is the President not taking charge as the leader of the party?

I can assure you the President is taking charge. What you have seen is a man, who as he once said, has transformed from the command and control ethos of the military to a consensus builder. In the military an order is instant and must be obeyed by all subordinates, while in a democracy you have to employ persuasion and lobby.

April 10, 2017
Ojudu at 56: What his people want from him
Segun Dipe, journalist and political analyst, extols the virtues of the Presidential Special Adviser on Political Matters, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, who clocks 56 this month.

We all provide something unique to this world, and we can all smell when someone isn’t being real. The more you focus on genuine connections with people, and look for ways to help them, rather than just focus on what they can do for you, the more likable and personable you become. This isn’t required to be a great leader, but it is to be a respected leader, which can make all the difference in your business.” -Lewis Howes, New York Times bestselling author of The School of Greatness

As Babafemi Ojudu, born on March 27, clocks 56, it would be nerve-racking to imagine him in a partying mood, twerking to the rhythm of a live music while his dear state pines. Ojudu is a pro-democracy activist who had suffered so much pain to get his country liberated. To think he would, at this time, close his heart and eyes against his dear state is a misnomer.

Ojudu possesses so many qualities that he can put to use for the survival of his people. It is an understatement that they are currently in an emotional dungeon, receiving the Israelites treatment under a Pharaoh. And if it will not be too much of a demand, Ojudu is now being asked to come home and lead from the front in ensuring that his dear state returns to its path of glory. That should be his birthday gesture for his people.

The fact that Ojudu keeps a positive attitude always, and this keeps his energy level up, is a great plus. In the April 2011 election for the Ekiti Central Senatorial seat, Ojudu polled 67,747 running on the ACN platform. Labour Party (LP) candidate and former Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose received 29,773 votes. Kayode Alufa of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) received 29,488 votes. After conceding defeat, Alufa congratulated Ojudu, saying: “Our God in his wisdom has chosen you with your experience and good credentials, which I am sure you will deploy for the service and improvement of our impoverished area.”

If indeed Ekiti is very dear to Ojudu’s heart, there are so many of such “experience and good credentials” he is bestowed with that he cannot afford to keep them away from his people at this crucial period. Even his sworn enemies have come to admit that he is unarguably bold, brilliant and balanced. Under the Zodiac sign of Aries, Ojudu is defined by enthusiasm, energy and passion. He takes to all matters of life with great energy and dedication. He strives to be the best in all he does, which is why he would always dedicate countless hours to overcoming a challenge that he deems to be worthwhile. In this respect, he is a natural leader who often attracts many admirers to himself.

Having a great idea, and assembling a team to bring that concept to life is the first step in creating a successful venture. Ojudu has this in a large dose. He is a chip off Anthony Lewis, American public intellectual and journalist, twice winner of the Pulitzer Prize, and a longtime New York Times columnist. Lewis, also born on same March 27, is credited with creating the field of legal journalism in the United States and had proffered that despite all the gains for democracy in the world, in many countries anyone who wants to publish truths unwelcome to the government risks suppression and criminal punishment.

Truly, Ojudu as a journalist had fallen into this trap. He was bent on publishing the truth and he got stewed for doing so on many occasions. Ojudu was arrested, tortured and detained several times. In July 1998, he almost got his life snuffed out of him, but for the death of the then dictator and maximum ruler, Gen Sani Abacha. It was reported that while still in cell, he suffered from typhoid fever and jaundice, both life-threatening, caused by the unsanitary conditions in which he was detained and denial of access to medication. Yet he remained undeterred.

Ojudu’s confidence level is electrifying. Even on days when things appeared worrisome and were not going according to plan,

Ojudu as a leader knew how to keep everyone working and moving ahead. He would maintain the team morale, keep up the confidence level, and assure everyone that setbacks are natural and the important thing is to focus on the larger goal. As the leader who stays calm and confident, he helps keep the team feeling the same.

March 27 children are generally born militant. They love people, fearless, a little crazy and are true individuals with their own inimitable style of dress and behavior, attracting attention wherever they go. They don’t just have star quality; they have something far more special: the likability factor.

Ojudu scores a high in creating a productive work environment, which stems from his open door policy or making it a point to talk assuredly to his people on a daily basis and making himself available to discuss issues. Those who work with him would always attest to the fact that they learn to trust and depend on him, and are always less hesitant to work harder.

Ojudu is not a man who can be drowned by the trivial. He is not only focused, he has a clear vision of where he would want his people to be in a near future. Five minutes of discussion would convince anyone that Ojudu can turn the fortune of Ekiti around for good in a short term if permitted.

Ojudu is 100 per cent authentically himself in relating to people, sometimes flawed, but always passionate about whatever he believes in. He is such a leader who would seamlessly instill confidence and followership by having a clear vision, showing empathy and being a strong coach. This has allowed him to engender trust and buy-in from his people.

So, what are those qualities Ojudu need to display to his people as he clocks 56? Though legion, the following must be prioritised: focus, confidence, integrity, transparency, inspiration, passion, innovation, patience, stoicism, wonkiness, authenticity, open-mindedness, decisiveness, personableness, empowerment, positivity, generosity, persistence, insightfulness, communication, accountability and restlessness.

Happy Birthday, Babafemi Ojudu, illustrious son of Ekiti. It’s time for rescue mission.
- Segun Dipe, a journalist and political analyst, writes from Ado Ekiti
April 6, 2017