The 2014 Gubernatorial Ekiti State election that unseated the incubent Governor Kayode Fayemi of A.P.C and produced Ex Governor Ayodele Fayose as the elected Governor of the State, had produced many analyses across the Country, some could be said to be factual and objective, some partisian, while some being jaundiced and totally pedestrian in nature as far as I am concerned. But, far beyond those analyses, I want to look at it from historical perspectives, which will help at rationalizing the results of the election and the future of South-West Politics in particular. The collapse of the Oyo Empire in 1793, led to the founding of many new Yoruba Towns and Kingdoms, such as the Egba Abeokuta (Ake,Oke-Ona,Owu , Ijaiye and Gbagura) in 1830, resettlement of War refuges in Ibadan and the Modakekes came to Ife Kingdom around the period. The collapse of the Oyo Empire led to the emergence of another Military Super Power in Yoruba Land, Ibadan. While Ile Ife remains the age old Spiritual Headquaters of Yoruba land, Ibadan, the Town founded by an Ife Prince and War General, Balogun Lagelu, some Centuries earlier, called Eba Odan, now known as Ibadan. The emergence of Ibadan as the New Military Super-Power, positively helped to checkmate the Fulani Jihadists incursion into the Yoruba Heartland at Oshogbo, but negatively led to the establishment of Feudalism in Yoruba Land, and in Ekiti and Ijesha land in particular, The Ibadan Feudal Lords, had Vassal Agents called Ajeles, who were indirectly ruling the Ijesha and Ekitis, on behalf of Ibadan War Feudal Lords. As it is globally accepted that, People can only be under Feudal rulesrship for sometime and not all the time, the Ekiti and Ijesha People got sick of the Ibadan imposed Feudalistic rulership, and formed an Alliance that led to revolt against Ibadan Feudal Lordship, first by killing all the Ibadan Vassal Agents (Ajeles), stationed on Ijesha and Ekiti Lands, and full declaration of War of Independence from Ibadan Feudal Lordship, which came to be known as the Kiriji War (1877-1893). The Kiriji war led to further alliances been formed with Ile Ife Warriors, led by General Ayikiti taking side with the Ekitis Warriors, led by Warlords Fabunmi, Odeyale and Adeyale and Ijesha Warriors, led by Ogedengbe Agbogungboro, Ayomoro and Ogunmodede against the Ibadan forces led by Generals Aare Latosha,Osi, Ilori-The Son of General Ogunmola, Iyapo-The Son of General Ibikunle, Balogun Ogboriefon, Ali Laluwoye e.t.c, with the support of the Modakekes. This revolt and war of Ijesha-Ekiti Independence called the Kiriji War (1877-1893) was finally ended by the intervention of the British, but the primary aim of the War, which was to put an end to the Ibadan Feudal Lordship was achieved. Since the advent of the proverbial Nigerian Third Republic in 1999, Politics in Yoruba land has being dominated by two Political Power Blocs, a bit to the Right hand is People Democratic Party (P.D.P) and closely to the left hand is Alliance for Democracy (A.D), Alliance Congress (AC), Alliance Congress of Nigeria (A.C.N) and now A.P.C., and other minor Political Parties. Also, quite a lot of Political Warlords such as Ex President Olusegun Obasanjo, Ex Governors Bola Tinubu, Olusegun Osoba, Bisi Akande, Gbenga Daniel, Ayo Fayose, Olusegun Mimiko, Senators Iyiola Omisore, Gbenga Kaka, Ayo Arise, Niyi Adebayo, Segun Oni , Late Oluwasegun Agagu, e.t.c have emerged on the South-West Political landscape. Among these Political Lords, was the Ex Governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu, who in 2003 emerged as the Leader of what under normal circumstances, One would have called The Progressive wing of South-West Politics, but, turned out to be a mere Psuedo- Progressive in theory and practices. Tinubu, who many looked up to as a Leader and did vote for at one time or the other, but turned out to be a great disappointment to every objectively discerning, Politically conscious and concerned Yoruba People in particular and Nigerians at large. With A.P.C Governors planted in nearly all of South-West States, what a lot of us were expecting was nothing short of what the South-West witnessed during the Premiership of Late Asiwaju Obafemi Jeremiah Awolowo, where altruistic public services, putting the People interests ahead of personal or parochial interests and planning ahead for the interests of the present and coming generations of Yorubas, were the primary aims and objectives of Late Obafemi Awolowo and his Disciples. But, what the People of South-West got was a total negation of our expectations, with news of monumental corrupt practices from our A.P.C Governors, nepotism, imposition of Candidates and lack of internal democracy and all the A.P.C Governors acting as the Vassal Agents to the Feudal Lord of Bourdillon. The rejection of Governor Fayemi of Ekiti State, cant be said to be just about the shortcomings of Governor Fayemi, but rejection of the imposition of Feudal Agents by The Feudal Lord of Bourdillon across Yoruba Land in the line of the Ekitiparapo Kiriji War of 1877-1893, or by any political Ideological Bloc or party. A lot of people who celebrated the defeat of A.P.C Candidates in both EKiti and Ondo States by the Labour and P.D.P Candidates, were not members or sympathisers of either P.D.P or the Labour Party, but People who felt the need to tell the Political Lords that, what we want are good governance, accountability, internal democracy, People oriented programmes and policies, that will make the Nigerian Nation, as a whole to progress beyond this Feeding bottle developmental stages that we find ourselves. Irrespective of the political ideological Blocs or affiliations, Political Leaders ought to go beyond just trying to remain in offices at all cost, but, be directly involved in gauging the opinions of the Man on the streets, to know what the People need, how they feel about their individual Political Parties, Programs and Policies. The defeat of A.P.C in Ekiti State is seen as a way of telling the A.P.C that they are not Saints as they try to make the masses to see them, as there are no major differences between A.P.C and P.D.P, and they are both full of People of questionable backgrounds and wealth acquired at the expense of the poor Masses. Secondly, it was another way of telling the Yorubas in A.P.C that if they cant influence their Political Party, A.P.C, to present a Presidential Candiadate in 2015, from the South-South (Niger-Delta) or South-East (Ibo Land) Regions of Nigeria, then they should forget about a lot of Yorubas, supporting another Feudalistic Hausa-Fulani Candidate from the North. We need to start questioning the continuation of unquestionable loyalty to the Born To Rule Children of Uthman Dan-Fodio, who founded the Sokoto Caliphate in 1804. Nigeria belongs to every Nigerian, and all should have equal access to the Highest Office in the Land, and if the Hausa-Fulani loses the Presidential election in 2015, led them go ahead and do whatever they plan to do, probably, that will put an end to the British mistake of 1914. The Bola Tinubu and Kayode Fayemi, that a lot of people loved and voted for at one time or the other, needs to reassess their leadership strategies, yield to the Peoples interests, do periodical reviews of their policies and face the honest realities . I want them to know that they are no longer the Bola Tinubu and Kayode Fayemi that People used to love in the past. I salutes the courage of Ekiti people for revolting against and putting an end to the Feudal Lordship of Bourdillion. Awa Ekiti okan shosho maniwa ooo lailai
Posted on: Sat, 28 Jun 2014 03:19:24 +0000