Heads-Up By Lekan Fatodu

Call him an enigma of some sort that will still situate
perfectly within varying popular views. The Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose is one politician who has, perhaps more than anyone else in Nigeria, continued to draw incredible public attention especially at the state level where he's having a second stint as governor.
Fayose, who first came to political limelight in 2003
when he was elected governor of Ekiti state, remains
a common feature in different political chat-rooms
chiefly on his involvement in several fierce political
battles and series of controversies. Unsurprisingly,
one of these numerous crises led to Fayose’s
impeachment from office in 2006.
Meanwhile, if the first coming of Fayose was
adjudged by Nigerians of different shades as riotous
and distressing, his second coming has not been any better. It has been full of tales of fights and fright; and also flights of fancy which have been well
prepped up as elixirs to the masses’ best wishes.
By a stroke of luck, which in reality has significantly
altered political permutations in Nigeria, Fayose,
having failed to clinch lesser elective positions, gave
a shot at the governorship of Ekiti again in 2014 and
defeated the incumbent, Dr. Kayode Fayemi. With
that victory, Fayose repeated the feat of beating an
incumbent as he did when he won the election
against the then governor Niyi Adebayo in 2003. But
what made his second electoral triumph more
fascinating was that he trounced a notable
incumbent.
Truly, his surprised comeback rubbished the
calculations of many political pundits, who had
placed their bets on Fayemi to return as governor
ahead of Fayose who came a distant second and,
sometimes, even third in most of the opinion polls
that preceded the gubernatorial election in the state.
Fayemi, who Fayose eventually routed at the polls,
was reputed as one of the most outstanding and
performing governors in Nigeria at the time. In
comparison to Fayose, Fayemi was said to be more
urbane, cerebral and better equipped with the
principles of good governance. But then, the Ekiti
populace voted for Fayose supposedly on the
premise of his greater understanding of their
ultimate needs for Stomach Infrastructure, a concept Fayose invented during his electioneering.
Simply put, the concept represents a method of
government that prioritises supply of the stomach’s
requirements like food items to the people above
other sustainable interventions that will eradicate
poverty and hunger. And being an adherent of the
very brutish side of the winner-takes-all approach to
governance, Fayose is never an individual with spare
time to accommodate or negotiate with a political
opponent however pleasing the intention of the
opposition may appear. The rambunctious governor
will not be forgotten in a hurry for his vicious
campaign and onslaught against President Buhari, in the run-in to the last Presidential contest.
Fayose had no scruples in his attempt to de-market
Buhari for the Presidency. For that, many Nigerians
lampooned Fayose for securing a front-page
obituary-like advertorial on Buhari in some major
newspapers, an infamous act that was criticized for
being too offensive and violating the minimum rules
of decency in electoral contest. Hence, nobody
expected him to be magnanimous to his
predecessor, Fayemi.
So it is very unusual, and particularly refreshing to
hear the same Fayose fighting for Fayemi, who has
just been nominated a minister, to have a hitch-free
moment at the senate screening for ministerial
nominees.
Fayose’s remarkably warm and familial call for
support came on the heels of a flurry of petitions
from outside and threats by some senators that
some individuals nominated by President Buhari to
work with him will face a gruelling time at the senate
screening. Former governors, Romiti Amaechi, of
Rivers State, Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State and
Kayode Fayemi were mentioned as prime targets in
the coveted national job interview.
But Fayose took a break from the norm. He rallied
support for Fayemi and quickly called his men in the
national assembly to order.
“I call on all the House of Representatives members
and senators that went to Abuja from here. Some
people petitioned the National Assembly stating how
Fayemi sunk Ekiti into heavy debts, I have told the
members not to do that. You must support him
there. They should not go to the Senate and oppose
Kayode Fayemi, no, they must never do that. An Ekiti
man is an Ekiti man. I appeal to everybody, you must
support him”, Fayose said.
Expectedly, Fayemi has appeared before the senate.
He was grilled on his stewardship as governor of Ekiti state and was asked to take "a bow, and go" having offered satisfactory answers to the senators.
Though Fayose may have fought some unnecessary,
ridiculous and incredulous battles in recent times,
rallying support for Fayemi’s ministerial nomination
which he (Fayose) has termed the “Ekiti Project” was
a smart move capable of improving his public image.
Actually, the symbolism of his latest stance is that the general public will start to appreciate him as not
absolutely dismissive.
www.thisdaylive.com/articles/fayose-s-unusual-fight-for-fayemi/222871/

He, fayose doesn't fight his own (ekiti people), he fights outsiders except if insiders allow outsiders to use them against him as the past members of house of assemblies did.