On Thursday, 16, October 2014, the governor-elect of Ekiti state, Peter Ayodele Fayose, will mount the podium to be sworn in for his second stint as governor. Fayose’s victory this time was hard fought, following a bruising election that saw him unseat the incumbent governor, John Kayode Fayemi, who was widely acknowledged to have performed credibly but had fallen out of favour with the electorate due to his distant style of leadership and unpopular policies. The governor-elect and indeed, the people of Ekiti state who voted massively for Fayose will be hoping for a better outing than his last.

For Mr Fayose, this isn’t the first time he would become the recipient of a popular mandate to lead the people of Ekiti state. In 2003, he defeated another incumbent, Otunba Niyi Adebayo on his way to a turbulent tenure marked terribly by violence, rascality and political thuggery. Respite came to the once peaceful state, albeit fleetingly, when Fayose and his deputy were unceremoniously impeached from office in 2006, following allegations of massive graft- as reported to the indicting panel by the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)- and former president Olusegun Obasanjo imposed a state of emergency to arrest the political turmoil that engulfed the state.

Fayose’s return to the helm of affairs comes with its own moral and legal baggage as he is still on trial for his role in the N1.2 billion state Integrated Poultry Project fraud, as well as for the murder of a political associate, Mr Tunde Omojola in 2005. It is therefore not surprising that the APC would choose to challenge his victory on whatever grounds available to them. Indeed, the Peoples Democratic Party ought to have anticipated such a push back when they selected him as their candidate.

This is why the latest shenanigans and utter disrespect for the sanctity of the rule of law, embarked upon by thugs said to be loyal to Fayose is shocking and should be strongly condemned, with the perpetrators brought to book. The anti-democratic tactics of intimidating the judiciary as gleaned from reports where allegedly pro-Fayose thugs invaded a High court in Ado-Ekiti, venue of the state election petition tribunal, with a follow-up attack on Justice John Adeyeye whose sin presumably was asking the governor-elect to call his supporters to order. The violence that followed led to a curfew in Ekiti state, as well as a total shut down of the judicial process.

This newspaper congratulates Mr Fayose as he takes the oath of office and impresses upon him once gain the weight of the responsibilities that are now his to carry. As the chief security officer of the state, he is now responsible for the lives and property of the Ekiti people and carrying on irresponsibly, in the manner of a half breed tout is no longer going to be acceptable.

The Ekiti state citizens, who are some of the best-educated people nationwide, have their reasons for voting Fayose, a red-neck with a past that is at best hazy, but none of them include a desire to see their home turned into a political battleground once again. Governor Fayemi, whatever his faults has for the most part brought in a sense of peace and stability that has enabled the state thrive and become a hub for progressives.

He may have failed in properly engaging the masses and civil society but his advances in education and infrastructure development, prudent management of resources and agriculture speak for themselves.

Under his watch, Ekiti’s internally generated revenue shot up from N109 million monthly to N600 million. School renovations and refurbishment, together with a free education system up to secondary level led to an improvement in the state WAEC results and the social system put in place which disburses stipends for the elderly has come a long way in giving succour to an oft-neglected demography. A lot of these initiatives deserve to be carried on seamlessly in the spirit of continuity despite the party differences.

Eight years in the wilderness, during which period, Mr Fayose suffered a failed senate bid, should have sufficiently helped him understand deeply, the responsibilities of the office he once occupied. He may have made all the right noises along the campaign trail, claiming to be older, more experienced and more responsible, but talk is cheap and Fayose is going to have to walk the talk for the next four years. In reality, his actions so far are not those of a changed man and not a few observers have predicted a stormy tenure. But, there is still time for Fayose to grow into the demands of his office.

This would of course go beyond the cheap populist tendencies of breaking bread and eating corn roasted by the roadside. Fayose has been given a mandate to lead, his constituency has been sufficiently empowered and they are going to expect him to do deliver the dividends.

As a grassroots politician, he would need to repair government’s relationship with the teachers, civil servants, and local government who were engaged in continuous scuffles with Mr Fayemi. Salaries need to be paid when due and his Partnership for Transforming Health Systems (PATHS), initiated during his first tenure as governor, which introduced a modified free health policy may need to be reassessed. He would also need to pay more attention to the industrial development of the state and look for means to diversify the economy.

Bickering with Fayemi (and the APC) over trivialities would be counter-productive and Fayose has to face the task of governance squarely, realising that all eyes are on him and there is plenty for him to prove. His goons need to be put on a leash and they would expect him to lead by example.

Fayose may not realise it yet but he has been handed his most difficult role yet, that of the returning prodigal with plenty to prove and it is one he has to play in full public glare.

Here’s hoping he succeeds this time. For Ekiti’s sake.

YEditor