in Ekiti State, western Nigeria, incumbent governor of the
state, Dr. Kayode Fayemi has debunked claims that he lost
the election because of what political analysts have tagged
'stomach infrastructure'.
According to a report published on PMNEWS on Friday, 18
July, 2014, Governor Fayemi made this statement at the
70th birthday lecture and book presentation in honour of
Professor Olatunji Dare held in Lagos on Thursday.
The governor described those making the above claims
as "arm chair analysts."
"Forget about what you read in the papers, it is not
stomach infrastructure," Fayemi said in reference to the
outcome of the Ekiti state governorship polls.
It could be recalled that the Independent National Electoral
Commission had declared former governor of Ekiti state, Mr
Ayo Fayose as the winner of the governorship election held
on 21 June, 2014 in Ekiti State.
According to INEC, Fayose, a candidate of Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP, defeated Fayemi, who contested the
election on the platform of All Progressives Congress, APC,
in all the local government areas in Ekiti.
After the announcement of the result of the Ekiti State
elections, many political analysts has blamed the defeat of
Governor Fayemi on the refusal of APC to share bags of
rice, kegs of groundnut oil and others material things to the
people of Ekiti before the polls.
Prior to the conduct of the governorship elections, there were
reports where PDP stalwarts in Ekiti were handing out
foodstuffs to the electorates .
A tactic that analysts have tagged 'stomach infrastructure'
as against social infrastructural the APC claimed they are
more interested in.
However, Ekiti state governor elect, Fayose had since
claimed that he won the governor elections because he is
more familiar with the grassroots people of Ekiti.
Fayose added that if the election is re conducted 20 times
that he would still top the incumbent governor in all the local
councils.
Meanwhile, speaking at the book launch, Fayemi explained
that he decided to attend the event himself and purchase
copies of the book because "maybe it will redeem my
image of what people say we are. Forget what you read
from the arm chair analysts, there is nothing called stomach
infrastructure in Ekiti. That story will be told another day,
not for this occasion."
He also noted that he did not come to the function with a
retinue of policemen and personal aides because of his
belief as an intellectual in the public space.
* Governor Fayemi
"So when the chairman [General T.Y Danjuma] said I came
in quietly and sat down, what else was I supposed to do?
To create distraction by walking in with gun-toting
policemen, with sirens blaring and all the goons disturbing
the peace of the hall? That way, I will be the people's
governor.
"I do worry about that because the lecture we just had and
the festschrift talks about public intellectuals and the place
of public intellectuals in public sphere."
It is, however, not clear if the governor never used sirens or
never had a retinue of aides following him about at
functions in the past.
The governor also said he experiments this principle by
documenting his experiences in governance since assuming
office in Ekiti State.
"As someone who, at the turn of every year that I have
been in office, I have cause to write a book about my
experience in government and the challenges of
governance, that is why I regard Professor Dare as one of
the very best in the industry. And that is why I'm here.
That's my first public event since June 21st (the day of the
Ekiti election).
"I didn't want to send someone here. Though my
Commissioner for Information is here, I prefer to be here
myself. I will like to buy some copies, maybe it will redeem
my image of what people say we are in Ekiti."
Sent from my BlackBerry wireless device from MTN
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