Success, they say, has many fathers while failure is an orphan.
That seems to be the scenario at Government House, Ado-Ekiti, where the crowd of friends and associates of the outgoing Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose, who used to besiege the place on a daily basis are thinning out by the day.
Fayose’s bid to install his own successor failed in the governorship election that took place in the state last Saturday as his deputy and anointed candidate, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, who flew the flag of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) was defeated the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former governor of the state, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.
Although Fayose was not a candidate in the election, political observers believe he was the bigger loser as Olusola was merely his protege and he (Fayose) had boasted that it was a test of strength between him one hand and APC and President Muhammadu Buhari on the other hand.
A source at the Government House in Ado-Ekiti told our reporter that Governor Fayose was gradually coming to terms with the reality of his imminent exit from his exalted office.
The source, however, said the decision of many Fayose’s supporters and loyalists who used to throng the Government House on a daily basis might not necessarily be because the governor’s candidate failed in the election.
“You know that the governor is having a lot of problems with security agents. I think the people are staying away because of that and not because he lost the election.” the source said.
She, however, admitted that the last time the governor’s loyalists trooped to the seat of power was on July 13, a day to the governorship election when they came to collect election money.
She noted that the defeat they suffered at the poll must have dampened their morale as much as it the governor’s.
It had taken Fayose about three days to find his voice after the poll. And when he finally spoke, it was at the palace of the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adejugbe, with whom he had a verbal confrontation in March over the urban renewal programme of the Fayose government, which necessitated the demolition of buildings in the state capital.
Fayose, who had trekked to the palace without the full compliment of his security aides as they were yet to be restored after they were withdrawn about 48 hours to the election, told the Ewi of his ordeal 72 hours after his party lost the governorship poll.
This time, it was a sober Fayose who waited patiently at the palace until the Ewi emerged from his inner chambers to attend to him.
Upon the Ewi’s appearance, Fayose prostrated in a show of maximum respect for the Oba and also remained on the floor until the Ewi told him to get up and have his seat.
In an emotion laden voice, Fayose urged the monarch to help him appeal to the federal authorities to stop alleged siege to his official residence.
Fayose said: “I have come to officially tell your sir, as the paramount ruler of Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, that the Government House was invaded by the police.
“Over 400 of our (party) members are being detained as we speak now.
“After the poll on Saturday, my wife was prevented from entering the Government House for about 45 minutes.
“Since last Wednesday, security agents had laid siege to the Government House and were subjecting people to untold hardship coming in or going out.
“The poll has come and gone, irrespective of what we went through. The Constitution says I am still the governor till October 16 this year.
“Our state radio and television stations have been shut down, and there has been no means of getting across to our people.
“It was only this morning that security agents at the entrance of the Government House were withdrawn.
“If we have been robbed, I still have a right to life and my family has a right to life too.
“The man that won has three units of the police protecting him. All my security men have been withdrawn since last Wednesday. I am only left with just a few.
“Harassing me is not in the interest of democracy. People must intervene before things go out of hand.
“I don’t know why we should be in this situation in 2018.” (The Nation)
