[tps_header]Like a bad dream, supporters of All Progressives Congress (APC) are still trying to understand the tsunami that hit them in the Ekiti governorship election. Governor Kayode Fayemi had been widely acknowledged as having performed very well. His re-election was, therefore, supposed to be taken for granted. But in the June 21 poll, he lost woefully to Ayo Fayose, former governor of the state. Why did this happen? We list five possible reasons.
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1. The Adaramodu damage
When Governor Kayode Fayemi came in, one man deserved major part of the credit: a certain Yemi Adaramodu who was the director of communications of the Kayode Fayemi Campaign Organisation. He was later appointed the chief of staff to the governor. However, upon his appointment, Adaramodu became so powerful that many within and outside government circles believed he was the de facto governor. Many other aides of the governor were forced to gravitate towards him. A source said there was a time local government caretaker chairmen were to be appointed and Adaramodu alone picked 12 out of the 16 nominees and they were all approved by the governor. He succeeded in alienating the governor from so many political interests which would have been useful for him in his quest for a second term in office. He was able to create an alternate power centre within the government which he used to dispense favour in furtherance of his own rumoured governorship ambition in 2018. His house and office were always a Mecca for those looking for one favour or the other from government. There were allegations that a hit squad was being run without Fayemi’s knowledge. The squad was accused of being behind the attack on Labour Party members in Emure-Ekiti where one Foluso Ogundare was killed. At this point, Fayemi began to cut him to size. He had been penciled down to head the re-election campaign committee but this was not to be as he was stripped of most of his powers but the damage had already been done.
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