chapter 17
Not long after we returned to Ekiti State after the special assignment with Aketi, did I receive a phone call from a senior member of the TVC Newsroom in Lagos, Mr Babajide Kolade-Otitoju who asked me to go and see the Chief Press Secretary CPS, to the Governor. I asked, "Ondo State sir?". "No, Ekiti". He didn't say more than that and he hung up.
If I had been asked to go and see the Governor himself - Osoko, I would have hesitated just as Ananias in the Bible, was afraid when he was directed in a vision to go and meet Saul who became Paul the Apostle. Governor Fayose once told me point blank that he didn't like my station - TVC and had walked his talk because he made sure that TVC was almost driven out of town. But Mr Idowu Adelusi, who was the CPS during Fayose's first term and had retained the position, he's a soft spoken gentleman who, as they say, cannot hurt a fly. I had worked with him from the time Mr Fayose became the Governor-elect and throughout his first term in office, I therefore had no qualms going to see him as I had been directed.
When I showed up in his office, CPS Adelusi received me warmly and said, "Mr Ogunmola, welcome. Oga wants you back because he said people are watching TVC". With immediate effect as Governor Fayose is known for action, the TVC crew was re-accredited and we returned to the Electronic Correspondents' office and began to appear at all state government functions and sometimes traveled in Fayose's convoy to official events outside the state because I learnt later that Osoko too like Aketi had gone to Lagos to pay for dedicated coverage by TVC.
That Ayo Fayose did weird things as Governor, like drinking ọpa ẹhìn or local bitters on the street and eating roasted corn by the roadside is no news but have you heard that the Governor also drove a fully loaded trailer. He did at Ikole Ekiti when there was a bandit's killing at Oke Ako/Ipao axis of Ikole Local Government Area and the Governor, wearing in military camouflage trousers was hurrying there for an on the spot assessment of the situation and this trailer fully loaded with planks constituted a blockade on the road with no driver sitting in the vehicle. Osoko climbed into the driver's cabin and kicked the trailer and repacked it and the convoy continued its journey.
TVC was contracted by Governor Fayose to cover his official activities but we still kept our ears on the ground for breaking news and developing stories happening in the state. When INEC lifted the ban on campaigning ahead of the July 21, 2018 Ekiti Governorship Election, there was no way we would not cover the campaigns of all the political parties active in the state. The All Progressives Congress APC was the main opposition party in Ekiti and its candidate in the coming election, former Governor Kayode Fayemi, stormed Ado Ekiti accompanied by his wife Erelu Bisi Fayemi, Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu and many APC stalwarts from within and outside the state. He rode in standing in an open jeep with Governor Akeredolu beside him, waving to the mammoth crowd on the street. TVC was among media outfits present at the APC state Secretariat where Dr Fayemi met with leaders of his party and other party faithful. It was the fateful day that Mr Opeyemi Bamidele Bamidele a.k.a M.O.B was hit by an accidental discharge of bullets from the gun of a mobile policeman. He was immediately carried into one of the SUVs that brought the V.I.Ps and whisked away.
We stopped filming and fled with the crowd as a mob descended on the Mopol who released the bullets with stones, sticks and what have you, until they believed he had been killed before they left him in his own pool of blood. From afar off, we saw a police van rush to the scene and the battered policeman thought to be dead, managed to get up and he was helped into the van and they sped away.
That same day, Governor Fayose celebrated at Fajuyi pavilion with primary school teachers with degree certificates whose elongation to Grade level 15 had been approved by his administration. Politics was made out of the upgrading of the teachers as letters were distributed openly to some of the teachers at the occasion by Deputy Governor, Kolapo Eleka who Governor Fayose had endorsed as his successor.
I filed news of the two events. The Fayose/Eleka teachers' story, was a lively package with three talking heads while the gunshot incident which I reported as accidental discharge, overshadowed the triumphal entry of Fayemi into Ado Ekiti to launch his second term bid. When the two stories by Akin Ogunmola reporting from the Ekiti State capital were aired on the TVC major news bulletin at 10 at night, pro - APC people bombarded my phone with threat messages because what I reported as accidental discharge, they said it was an assassination attempt on Fayemi. I had it on tape how the Mopol involved in the shooting and a thug were pushing each other near where we waited to interview any of the dignitaries after their meeting at the APC state Secretariat. Then suddenly the gun fell off the hand of the policeman and released bullets twice before he managed to pick it up. The release of this video cleared my name from allegations of bias reportage leveled against me by pro - APC elements.
On the last day of campaign ahead of the 2018 Ekiti Gubernatorial Election, the PDP planned a rally to take place at the Fajuyi Pavilion and the arena was decorated all white curtains but the rally never held as the police cordoned off the entire Fajuyi area and dispersed any gathering whatsoever. The Nigeria Union of Journalists NUJ Ekiti State Council and chapels under it, had an audience at the Police headquarters on Iyin road, with the AIG of Police who was in the state to coordinate the election. On our way back from the Press briefing, the entire Fajuyi area was a battlefield of sorts as the air around there was thick with teargas smoke. We ran up the tower inside Fajuyi Park for safety and from where the cameramen amongst us were able to record the scene unfolding below before us. Later in the afternoon, Governor Fayose appeared on television wearing a medical neck collar which some people claimed was turned upside down. Fayose blamed the police for his predicament as well as accusing the police of taking side with the APC.
Announcing the result of the July 21, 2018 Ekiti Governorship Election, INEC's Chief Returning Officer, Professor Olayinka says, Dr Kayode Fayemi of the All Progressives Congress APC, is elected having satisfied the requirements of the law and scoring the highest number of votes.
Fayemi pooled 197,459 votes to beat the Deputy Governor of the state and candidate of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), Professor Kolapo Olusola who got 178,121 votes.
Total number of registered voters 909, 585
Total number of accredited voters 405, 861
Total valid votes 384,594
Rejected votes 18,857
Total votes cast 403,451