Ekiti Election: 1st Free and Fair Election in Nigeria

It is with gratitude to God and everyone that joined us to pray for peace and success in Ekiti election that we announced that God answered our prayers. To those who may not believe that God answers prayers, ours is the proof that it’s a success because we prayed and He answered. If not for our prayers, Ekiti election would not end the way it did. After all, had election ended this way before? This is the first time a sitting governor will concede a defeat in an election in Nigeria. Election victories in the past are always challenged in the court of law, many for the duration of the winner before the Supreme Court finally stops the looser because that is the last place they could appeal. If Nigerian politicians could appeal to God they would.


We thank God for Doctor Fayemi and all other contestant of the last election in Ekiti state who had conceded defeat. We also thank God for Ayo Fayose who had declared the contest as no victor or vanquished.

Success is a long journey. It is not a destination. Wherever you are at one point or the other can be the beginning of your success and you gradually progress in the journey taking one step at a time. We like to believe that the success recorded in Ekiti is the beginning of a long journey in our fragile democracy. A Chinese proverb says that the longest journey begins with the first step. The Bible also says in Exodus 23:29-30 that: “I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee…By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land”. Our prayer is that the next election in Osun State and ultimately 2015 election will be a step forward and not backward in this journey.

We are not politicians and we have no favorite political parties. We believe and promote the rule of law, free and fair election and justice for all. We do not want the grassroots to suffer because when two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers.

We like at this point to tell all players in Ekiti politics to toe the path of peace. This is not the time for debates. Every focus and energy should be on the transition of Doctor Fayemi administration to Fayose’s. All non-Ekiti citizens should mind their business. Everyone should honor the decision of Ekiti people and let them be. They had made their choice. We appeal to all the political parties to do away with their usual ‘do or die’ politics. Parties should put the lessons learned in practice to do better in Osun polls.

We plead with the Governor Elect Fayose to focus on his transition to take over peaceably from the outgoing Governor and pursue a reign of peace and unity in Ekiti. He ought to be too busy to join issues with anyone inside or outside Ekiti State. He should appoint trust worthy and capable spokesperson to answer everyone who wants to distract him from his transition. I also pray that Dr. Fayemi will maintain the high standard of integrity which he had set in Nigeria politics during and beyond this transition. There is life beyond Nigerian politics for him and the future is looking bright. He must distance himself from any activities that will derail him from the peaceful and orderly transition that he had promised.

TGIF will like to appeal to all our friends who prayed with us at the drum beat to the election and even those who did not to join us now to pray for successful and peaceful transition from the outgoing Government of Fayemi to the incoming government of Fayose in Ekiti.

TGIF will like to emphasis that all politics are local. As we can see that there are clear differences in the governorship elections conducted from state to state. The issue of god fatherism should be divorced from local politics. It is having an untold negative effect on local champions such that they lose in the polls not because of non-performance but because of the negative influence of perceived god fathers who behave as if some parties are their property. They provoke some local party faithful to cast protest vote for the opponent.

Nigerians must understand that democracy gave them an opportunity to elect someone with programs to improve their lives, and empower them to contribute their quota to the society. The vast majority of Nigerian politicians went into politics to have their share of the national cake. The party that wins the election controls all the resources of their territory (Local, State or Federal Government). Every party therefore has one objective; win the election at all cost.

Nigerians must no longer mortgage their future for a bag of rice. They should vote for someone who will teach them to fish rather than someone who will give fish today and they continue in abject poverty. Voters must be made to understand what democracy is all about improvement of lives. The money that flows into election is outrageous. That is why corruption is so rampart; they’ll recoup the money one way or the other. Voters need to be educated. Thank God its Friday.