How Fayose pulled Tinubu, Fayemi apart

In from Olumide Olaoluwa….

It all started shortly after the Appeal Court sitting in Kwara State declared Dr Kayode Fayemi the duly elected governor of Ekiti State on October 15, 2010.

Fayemi, whose three-year-old legal battle to reclaim his mandate under the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) was bankrolled by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, suddenly became elusive.

He reportedly started breaking ties with his political mentor and benefactor, Tinubu.

Though initially innocuous, the withdrawal tactics got to a head in the run-off to the June 21, 2014 governorship election in that state, in which Governor Ayo Fayose roundly defeated the UK-trained academic.

It was gathered that the relations between Tinubu and Fayemi had got so bad that the duo was hardly on speaking terms days before the election.

All bonds had been irretrievably broken. The political godson had broken ranks with his godfather, opting to go solo in the murky world of politics.

Sources said the initial cracks emerged when Fayemi opted to go against the advice of Tinubu to compensate Fayose for his support during the legal battles and offer him a soft landing.

A party privy to the deal said: “Tinubu told Fayemi to retain the support of Fayose, who had helped him to oust Oni. Fayose and Fayemi had a temporary political pact and Tinubu wanted that to continue.

“His argument was that it was important to absorb Fayose into the progressives’ rank and compensate him for his senatorial loss. Fayose said he wanted a refund on what he spent on the poll.

“Tinubu believed that should be done, by giving him the senatorial ticket of the then ACN. But Fayemi had other ideas.

“He said he would not agree to any of these advices and that was the first slight against Tinubu,” a source confided.

Tinubu was said to have kept his distance from that time onward. On his part, Fayemi who was reportedly bent on being his own man, started hobnobbing with former Governor Niyi Adebayo.

Adebayo was said to have become his closest political ally, offering counsel on governance.

However party’s chieftains, who felt uncomfortable with the development, wondered how Adebayo, who lost election as a sitting governor, will be able to help Fayemi.

Meanwhile, Ekiti indigenes became disillusioned with the former governor’s alleged aloofness while in power.

He was said to have become inaccessible to many political associates, choosing to focus on running a government “heavy on illusion but low on accessibility.”

This was the situation until the June 21 election where Fayemi was defeated in all 16 local governments of the state by Fayose.

An APC chieftain said: “Had Fayemi accepted to form a pact with Fayose and offered him the party’s senatorial ticket as Tinubu advised, he won’t have had a formidable opponent like him to contend with.

“What he failed to handle finally consumed him. He felt he knew it all. He thought he was a political heavyweight on his own but suffered the price for not heeding the counsel of his godfather.”

Days before the election, it emerged that many APC chieftains and supporters were disenchanted with the former governor, who was said to have sidelined many of them and awarded contracts to foreign-based beneficiaries.

Besides, it was gathered morale was low among even his staunchest supporters, giving Fayose a huge psychological edge.

Sensing that the party was heading towards a monumental defeat, Tinubu reportedly mobilised resources to save Fayemi. But the fund, it was gathered, was not utilised by the former governor.

The Tinubu’s camp at a point reportedly gave up on victory for Fayemi, accepting he was on his way out of office.

The next day after Fayemi’s defeat, Tinubu and the former interim chairman of APC, Chief Bisi Akande, were in the Ila Orangun’s residence of the former governor to celebrate his birthday.

Once out of office, Fayemi-Tinubu’s relations became frostier despite the former’s appointment to head the APC’s primary electoral committee.

Fayemi later emerged the Head Policy, Research and Strategy Directorate of the APC Presidential Campaign, a position Tinubu was said to have influenced based on Fayemi’s pedigree for organisation.

But the position took the former Ekiti governor closer to Buhari, making Tinubu no longer necessary as a get-in-between. That has put Fayemi in great stead with Buhari with many believing he will be appointed a minister.

Although Tinubu is believed to be more disposed to recommending his former Commissioner of Information and Strategy, Dele Alake to fill the Ekiti slot, sources however said Fayemi might still make the list based on personal recognition.

They were also quick to add, that this does not distract from the fact, that it was still Tinubu who they applaud for having a knack to pick the perfect people for the job, who placed him on the pedestal that shot him there.

Ripples… without borders, without fears

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now