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Fayemi: Second Time Around + Why He’s Contesting

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By Eric Elezuo

Ever since his victory at the May 12, 2018 rescheduled Ekiti APC primary election, Dr. John Olukayode Fayemi, has been receiving a good deal of accolades from politicians across board; some positive, some near positive. But whichever way it is approached, Fayemi has won, declared the APC flag bearer in the July 14, Governorship election, as well as been presented to the leader of the party and President, Muhammadu Buhari.

Fayemi’s victory is applauded by his core believers and fans as a result of his ability to pick the ticket against all odds, even as a very late entrant; his never say never attitude even as pressure mounted on him to withdraw his aspirations.

Hails from Isan-Ekiti I Oye Local Government, where he was born on February 9, 1965, he is the immediate past Governor of Ekiti State, and his attempt at making a return to the Government has raised more questions than answers.

Currently the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, investigations have revealed that Fayemi’s quest to return to Ekiti Government is a calculated attempt to remain relevant in the political schemes in the next dispensation.

“It would be recalled that His Excellency joined the Ekiti governorship race very late; that was because it was never his intention to run. However, political wrangling both in the seat of power and the leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) made the former governor chose to throw his hat into the ring,” TheBoss learnt.

Further enquiry revealed that Fayemi, after due consultations, foresaw a paradigm shift which may not be advantageous to him. This shift, it was further learnt, lies in the about to happen obvious change in the party leadership, where the current party chairman, Chief John Odigie Oyegun, is bent on giving way for former Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

Even before the arrival of Oshiomhole, the party has been divided on parallel lines – the Oyegun camp and the Bourdillon/Oshiomhole camp. It was based on these camps that the fiasco that disrupted the May 5 botched Ekiti APC primary was premised upon.

“Fayemi knows that the tiny political life he may enjoy in the next dispensation lies on a balance, and he is bent on utilizing it to the best of his abilities. Being an Oyegun-man, he is aware that the exit of Oyegun and the coming of Oshiomhole will bring about a massive hurricane where all those that has ever stood against Tinubu will be swept away. This means that he will be losing his ministerial position, and will be politically out of space,” the Boss learnt.

Consequently, mustering enough goodwill as well as financial muscle, Fayemi clung to the last dying breath which is Oyegun. It is obvious that if he wins Ekiti election as governor, whatever happens in the next four years beginning from 2019, will not give him any sleepless. But otherwise, there is tension.

Except for political intrigues, watchers are of the opinion that the one oftentimes called elitist, is qualified to be governor, the fact that he was voted out four years ago notwithstanding. He is actually elitist as many has unwittingly remarked: his secondary education was at Christ School, Ado Ekiti from 1975 to 1980. His attendance at the Universities of Lagos and Ife at separate times bestowed on him degrees in History, Politics and International Relations. He also has a Doctorate degree in War Studies from the prestigious King’s College, University of London, England, majoring in civil-military relations.

Kayode Fayemi has been lecturer, journalist, researcher and Strategy Development adviser in Nigeria and the United Kingdom with stints at The Guardian, City Tempo and Nigeria-Now. He is a former Director of the Centre for Democracy & Development, a research and training institution dedicated to the study and promotion of democratic development, peace-building and human security in Africa. He was Strategy Development Adviser at London’s City Challenge; research fellow at the African Research & Information Bureau in London. As a prominent leader of the Nigerian opposition to military rule in exile, he was responsible for the founding and management of the opposition radios – Radio Freedom, Radio Democracy International & Radio Kudirat and played a central role in the opposition’s diplomatic engagements in exile. He is the writer of Out Of The Shadows.

Amongst his numerous academic and public policy engagements at home and abroad, Kayode Fayemi has lectured in Africa, Europe, the Americas and Asia. He has also served as an adviser on transitional justice, regional integration, constitutionalism, security sector reform and civil-military relations issues to various governments, inter-governmental institutions and development agencies.

In an interview with the Daily Independent in 2005, Mr. Fayemi made poverty, education and healthcare central to his manifesto. The implementation of which he asserts will be consultative, including being open to ideas from the diaspora.

After three and a half years fighting through the legal system on 15 October 2010 the appeal court sitting in Kwara state declared him the duly elected Governor of Ekiti State, and marked the end of Segun Oni’s administration.

His vision is summed up in an 8-point Agenda which centres around: Governance, Infrastructural Development, Modernising Agriculture, Education and Human Capital Development, Health Care Services, Industrial Development, Tourism Development, and Gender Equality and Woman Empowerment.

Fayemi runs an open administration, becoming the first governor in this present political dispensation in Nigeria to openly declare his Seven Hundred and Fifty Million Naira assets, Fayemi was also the first governor in Nigeria to sign into law the Freedom of Information Act on Monday, 4 July 2011.

He was defeated by Ayo Fayose of the PDP in the 2014 election while attempting to go second term. A few months ago, a panel of enquiry set up by Governor Fayose banned him from participating in public administration in Ekiti State for five years; a verdict he has declared a joke.

The clandestine Radio Freedom, later Radio Kudirat operator of those days, has said that his quest to return to governance has nothing to do with vengeance, but to complete the works he started, which he believes have been truncated by his successor, chiefly among them restoration of respect to elders.

It is really not uhuru for Fayemi yet as the election comes up in July, many weeks after a part of his war chest may have left office, paving the way for one if not an avalanche of his albatross.

Time, as usual, will tell.

 

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Waterfront Summit: KPV Founder Engages Lagos Commissioner on Sustainable Coastal Future

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Prince Adegboyega Adekoya has expressed deep commendation for the Honorable Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Dayo Bush Alebiosu, following a strategic engagement at the recently held Waterfront Summit in Lagos.

Prince Adekoya described the conversation with the Commissioner and key members of the Lagos State Ministry as inspiring and forward thinking, praising Alebiosu’s visionary leadership in championing a sustainable coastal future for Lagos State.

According to Adekoya, the discussions went far beyond infrastructure. They centered on the need for holistic coastal development one that places people, culture, and the long-term continuity of Lagos at the core of every project and policy direction.

He noted that his commitment to this cause is both personal and ancestral.
“It is my prerogative, birthright, and royal duty to safeguard the waters, lands, and shining sands my ancestors protected,” he stated.

Adekoya also emphasized his role as a key stakeholder and founder of KPV Global Network, a thriving community of creatives. He affirmed that the network is strategically positioning the creative sector as a strong driver of Nigeria’s bold moves in global culture, tourism, and creative diplomacy.

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Again, Fayose Makes Scathing Remarks Against Obasanjo Hours After Former President Attended His Birthday

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Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and ex-Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose, on Monday renewed their old enmity, with Fayose raining insults on the 89-year-old ex-president, whom he declared “belongs in the zoo”.

The feud between the duo dates back to the beginning of the Fourth Republic, when Obasanjo was president and Fayose was governor in Ekiti State.

Obasanjo had sent the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission after Fayose over a poultry project embarked upon by Fayose, which Obasanjo declared was fraught with corruption.

The relationship between them has been frosty over the years, with Fayose seizing any chance to lash out at Obasanjo, alleging his Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Ogun State is a product of corruption.

Fayose repeatedly demanded that Obasanjo return his N10m contribution to the building of the library.

However, in a dramatic twist, ahead of his 65th birthday last week, Fayose had visited Obasanjo in his Ogun home and invited the ex-president to the birthday.

 At the birthday party in Lagos, however, Obasanjo, who was the Special Guest of Honour, recounted how  Fayose had abused him severally in the past without batting an eyelid.

He explained that despite asking for forgiveness from him several times, Fayose would still go ahead to abuse him in a display of arrogance.

 The former President said he was surprised that Fayose would be bold enough to invite him to the birthday.

 Addressing the gathering,  Obasanjo said, ”Some people called me and said that we heard that you are going to attend Fayose’s 65th birthday, have you forgotten how he abused you? But I said that they should not worry, irrespective of his character, he remains one of my children. The Yoruba will say ‘Won kii le omo buburu f’ekun paje’, meaning that you won’t say your child is bad and offer him to a tiger to devour.

 “But you are not the best of my political children, you’re not, but you have made achievements that must not be ignored.”

Obasanjo said, haunted by his past acts, Fayose could not, at first, directly approach him to invite him to his birthday, but instead sent  a former minister, Osita Chidoka, “to come and sound me out.”

“You could not come to me directly because you knew that you had not done so well by me,” Obasanjo said, “‘Bi iwo ba se rere, ara ki o a ya o’. So, I told Osita to tell you that he had delivered the message you sent him to me. You later phoned me and I said that you could come to see me at any time.

“Even at that, you could not come directly to knock at my door; you took precautions, you sent Foluso ahead of you, who came before you, to gauge my feelings and pulse, after which you arrived about an hour later.

“When you came to me, you called your wife, and while on the phone with your wife, I said that the two of you have not done well. Mo ni eyin meejeji kii s’omoluwabi; and your wife completely disarmed me.

“She said, ‘Yes, Baba, you are right, please forgive us,’ and what else can I do? You have asked for forgiveness, and I have forgiven you, but the right lesson must be learned.”

Obasanjo then launched into his past relationship and feud with Fayose.

Quoting Romans 12 vs 15, Obasanjo said the Bible enjoins Christians to “mourn with those who are mourning, while we should also rejoice with those rejoicing.”

He said, “Like I said, that we are here to thank God for his mercy and faithfulness, you must always understand that you’re who you are and where you are by the special grace of God, and so you must always give praise to him.

“I also said that we are here for stock taking, part of what you yourself have said. I knew you, and I was with you because of the initiative you took to give water to the people of Ekiti State at that time; you will remember this vividly. It was this initiative that set you apart and made me fall in love with you.

“I didn’t know you from anywhere before that time; it was S. K. Babalola that I knew and was going to support for the 2003 governorship because of his track record with the Nigerian Union of Teachers.

“However, I later pitched a tent with you and dumped Babalola, who, in any case, was also not a member of our party, PDP, then. You remember that we were at Efon Alaye to campaign, and one of their challenges there was erosion, which we promised to fix, and we fulfilled our promise.

“Ayo, there is a difference between being courageous, being bold and being foolhardy. Courage, boldness and foolhardiness do not go together.

“There is also the virtue of humility, which goes with humility. Humility is one of the virtues that mark out our character in Nigeria, particularly the people of Yoruba land. Integrity is also another virtue. We had a campaign and, by the grace of God, you won the election.

“And when you won, you wanted to do a lot of good things. One of those things was to help the farmers. When you came to me, I said that if you wanted to help the farmers, one of the things you could do is to either subsidise the chicks or the feeds and not that, as a government, you will say you are establishing a poultry farm.

“I said that Gomboro could come, and within the time the memo to buy this and that was still going from the table of one government official to another, the disease would have cleared all the chicks. And you will remember this story, I came to your farm and I saw the chicks that were about two weeks old with their shavings very neat and asked, ‘Ayo, se awon adiye tiyin ki yagbe ni’  (Don’t your own type of chicks excrete?).

“And your brother, Oyinlola, the then governor of Osun State, was telling you right there, ‘I told you that if he (Obasanjo) doesn’t know anything, he knows about poultry’.

 “You also remember that, before this issue about poultry, some came to say that you did not go to Olivet Baptist School, Oyo, but I knew that you went to the school and finished there. We can see those who were your mates and those who were your seniors, so that is unlike some people, who we really don’t know the school that they attended.

“If you remember, you and your wife came to me at Oyinlola’s house and begged for forgiveness for all that you had said to me, and I said that I had forgiven you, but you never stopped. You also came to my house and apologised. I said that I had forgiven you, but you still didn’t stop.

“Ayo, I did not ask you to contribute to my library, or did I? The governors decided, and you joined them. I never begged you for money for anything except when you came last week, on Tuesday.

“I told you that since you will make me abort my trip from Kigali, Rwanda and come back on Saturday when I was supposed to be back on Sunday, you would be the one to pay for that because I can’t be using my retirement money for such.

“But if it will be of interest to you, it was Alhaji Aliko Dangote who sent the plane that brought me back to the country. So, the money you sent through Foluso is still with me. I have kept everything intact.

“Obviously, part of why you have called me to this occasion is to make things right with those whom you might have offended. I also want to urge you to still think about those people you have offended and call them for a truce. Forgiveness and repentance are quite important.

“You must repent from all misconduct because we must begin to prepare for heaven, because no one will escape the judgment of God. Please join me in singing this song, ‘Ope mi ko i to, ojojumo ni o ma dupe…’”

Clearly angered by Obasanjo’s remarks, Fayose, on Monday, sent the ex-president a “Thank You” text message, filled with insults.

The Punch

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Dan Agbese, Newswatch Co-Founder, Dies at 81

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One of the founders of Newswatch magazine, Chief Dan Agbese, is dead.

According to a statement issued by the Agbese family of Ikpilogwu clan of Agila district, Ado Local Government Area of Benue State, he died on Monday.

“We hereby announce the passing away of our husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and mentor: Chief Dan Agbese, the Awan’Otun of Agila.”

“Chief Agbese transited to eternal glory this morning, Monday November 17, 2025. He was aged 81.

“Burial arrangements would be announced by the family in due course.

“Born May 12, 1944 in Agila, Chief Agbese was a renowned journalist and author, famous for his seminal contributions to journalism practice in Nigeria and renowned for his satirical columns.

He was editor of The Nigeria Standard and New Nigerian newspapers, and General Manager of Radio Benue, Makurdi.

“Chief Agbese was one of the founders of the trail-blazing Newswatch magazine and was until April 2010 its Editor-in-Chief.

“Before his passing, he wrote several books and maintained weekly columns in notable newspapers including the Daily Trust and The Guardian, while running a media consultancy with his friends and colleagues, Ray Ekpu, Yakubu Muhammed and Soji Akinrinade.

“He is survived by his wife , Chief Rose Agbese, their six children, and seven grandchildren.”

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