PMParrot/Parrot Xtra’s correspondent, EMMANUEL ADENIRAN recently had an encounter with the Convener/Chairman of Concerned Citizens of Ekiti State, Comrade Femi Babalola. He revealed why Ekiti South Senatorial District should be allowed to produce the next Governor of the state regardless of party affiliation.
Can our readers meet you?
My name is Comrade Femi Babalola. I am a retired civil servant. I hail from Ise Ekiti in the Ekiti south senatorial district. I am the Chairman of Concerned Citizens in Ekiti State. It is a social group and we are an advocate of social justice.
What led to the formation of the organization, Concerned Citizens of Ekiti state?
We are people of like minds from different backgrounds and we felt that there are many anomalies in the society ranging from poverty, insecurity, mistrust among others.
We are looking forward to correcting the ills through advocacy and using the mass media to enlighten the public.
Since the establishment of the group, what are the contributions of the organization to formation of public opinion in the state?
The organization was established in March 2018. We cannot quantify it but we know that we have made so much impact in the state since its establishment. Our activities include educating, informing the masses through the radio, social media spaces among others. We also honor invitations on radio for interviews in order to sensitize the residents of Ekiti state.
We do not rely on any financial inducement from any quarters because we are not doing it for anybody in particular but for the masses in general.
Some people are advocating that the group was established to promote the interest of certain political groups in the state; can you shed more light on that?
No. That is not true. The group/forum was not formed to advance any political cause or sentiments but for the interest of the residents of Ekiti people.
It was formed to protect the general interest of the majority of the Ekiti people regarding how they are governed in the state and that is our primary focus.
In addition, one of our aims is to ensure that no powerful individual or group imposes their self-will on the good people of Ekiti state.
What is your position on the issue of an anointed candidate supported by the state government?
This same issue happened during the state congress of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti state when the people contesting for positions at the ward, local government and state level were imposed against the wishes of the party’s stakeholders. It was a decision of few influential people in government to arm-twist the election towards the party primary election on January 22, 2022.
Some government machineries in the state sponsored the names and lists of the delegates in an attempt to favor a preferred and anointed candidate. They tailored the lists of the state executives of the APC to those who will do their own biddings. Those in government are the ones who nominated those who occupy positions at the party level from the state chairperson to the least position.
They turned down the names and lists presented by the elders while those in government wrote their own names and put them in place as the party executives. There was no party election where the party executives were transparently elected rather, they were only selected by those in government to advance their own target of imposing their own anointed candidates. The state, local, ward congresses were all stage-managed.
How do you think the process can be corrected?
That is what I have been saying. The processes cannot be trusted; the best alternative is the call for a direct primary instead of an indirect primary. In fact, most of those who have served at the various wards, LGA and the state levels were all returned, they said they were consensus candidates. Why would they say there should be a consensus candidate in a democracy?
The speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila stated that the electoral bill that was overturned by the president will be modified and sent back to the presidency for his assent. What is your view on this?
Well, we have been thinking of that possibility too. We are also working to ensure that the APC executives selected by the state government are not presented during the forthcoming primary election of the party.
You can see what transpired at Isan Ekiti on Boxing Day, on 26 December 2021, where some party individuals revolted publicly against the few controlling the party affairs in the state.
What is the stand of the organization on the agitation of the Ekiti south to produce the next governor of Ekiti state?
Well, the Ekiti south senatorial district is going to present a single candidate from the zone and the process is ongoing. We are going to ensure that the candidates from both PDP and APC emerge from the zone and he will be publicly unveiled before 15 January 2022.
This time, Ekiti south senatorial district is going to have a common voice regarding the forthcoming election. We are not playing politics on the Ekiti south agenda issue; we are only trying to ensure that things are done properly regarding who becomes the next governor of Ekiti state in 2022.
How will you assess the performance of Governor Kayode Fayemi’s administration in Ekiti State?
Well, the Governor has tried his best. The worker’s salaries are paid as at when due. On the issue of pensioners, I think he is also trying his best. However, on the issue of security, it is not worth mentioning.
Look around now, you will see that people are not happy. There is hunger in Ekiti State and people of the state are not happy. If you get to the market things are so expensive, people in the state can no longer afford the cost of things in the market. The prices of goods and services in the market are escalating every day and there is nothing to stem the tide.
Even the workers’ salaries are not enough again and Ekiti State is a civil servants’ state with low Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). I will suggest that the governor should do the needful to improve on good governance in the state.
What is your admonition that you wish to send to the people of Ekiti state?
The Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi should totally remove his involvement on who will succeed him as the Governor of the State. He should not include his body language or display his interest. He should give the aspirants a level playing ground and the people to participate in the process that will lead to the conduct of free and fair election in the state.
He should allow the Ekiti south senatorial district to present a candidate that will emerge as the next governor of the state. He should make this a New Year gift for the zone.
Meanwhile, I want to wish the people of Ekiti State the very best of luck. The people of the state should live in harmony with one another and be their brother’s keeper. Every individual should be security conscious, be wary of their environment, and be politically wise at this period.
Since the creation of Ekiti state the southern zone has never had the opportunity of becoming the governor of the state. If another person from either the Ekiti central or north is allowed to return as the governor now, they might want to spend another eight years on the seat. If you add the years together with over 24 years of the creation of Ekiti state; that will be 32 years.
It will not be fair not to allow Ekiti south candidate to become the governor of the state in the coming election. I want to appeal to the governor to give the zone the opportunity of becoming the next governor of the state after the completion of his tenure.
