Should he win the polls in June, Governor Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State would be the first helmsman to have a straight two-term governorship streak in the South-West state that is notorious for hating incumbency. In this interview with AYODELE AFOLABI, Oyebanji, among other issues, shares his strategy of respecting predecessors and serving the people.
How did the Ekiti chapter of APC agree to a consensus arrangement to pick you as its sole governorship candidate? This is the first time such will happen.
That was historic. In the 29-year history of our state, no democratically elected government has ever accomplished such a feat. There has never been a time when a sitting government succeeded itself. So, by God’s grace, if we win next June, we will be the first government to run back-to-back.
Yes, some governors have served two terms, but typically, they lose an election, leave office, and then return later. That has been the bane of our development because of policy truncation. Each new administration often abandons the projects and policies of its predecessor to start afresh, and the cycle continues every four years.
When we were agitating for the creation of Ekiti State, by providence, I served as secretary of the Committee for the Creation of Ekiti State. I was just 26 years old then, working with the founding fathers of the state. I sat in meetings with them and understood their vision for Ekiti. I can confidently say that no politician in the state today has had the kind of public service experience that I’ve had.
Before becoming governor, I had already spent 11 years in public service. I started as Senior Special Assistant, later became Special Adviser, and eventually served as Chief of Staff to Governor Niyi Adebayo. We left the office in 2003. Then, Dr Kayode Fayemi came in 2010, after a seven-year hiatus. I worked with him for four years in three different capacities: Commissioner for Integration and Intergovernmental Affairs; Head of the Office of Strategy and Service Delivery; and Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning.
When the government lost re-election in 2014, I remained active in public life. By 2018, when Dr Fayemi returned as governor, I was appointed Secretary to the State Government (SSG). So, I’ve seen governance at close range. My roles as Chief of Staff and SSG allowed me to work very closely with two governors, seeing how they made decisions and handled their consequences.
So, I cannot claim not to have the experience. When I assumed office, I told myself: ‘I must avoid all the mistakes we’ve seen in the past’. It was a deliberate decision. One of those mistakes was the lack of cordiality among former governors.
For instance, during Segun Oni’s administration, we once met in Ilupeju, and I suggested the idea of establishing a “Council of State” for Ekiti, a forum where former governors could meet quarterly. He promised to implement it, but it never happened. I intend to make it a reality in my second term. In fact, we plan to send a bill to the House of Assembly, making it mandatory for any sitting governor to convene such meetings at least once every quarter.
When I became governor, I made up my mind to live in peace with everyone. Let me share an example. Former Governor Ayo Fayose did something that truly shocked me. His party contested against ours in 2022, yet the day I won, he called his party’s candidate and urged him to congratulate me. He even advised him not to challenge the result in court, and he didn’t.
Ironically, it was Kayode Ojo, a member of my own party, who took me to court over pre-election matters, all the way to the Supreme Court. Segun Oni also went to court, and that case too got to the Supreme Court. For two years, I was in and out of court. At one point, I had 35 pending cases.
So, I went to Fayose and asked why he acted differently. He told me, “Look, I’m now mature. I can rise above politics and act as a statesman. You deserve every support you can get.”
People often ask how I’ve managed to maintain good relationships with all former governors. The answer is simple: respect. When they want to see me, I visit them in their homes; I don’t make them come to my office. I call them, check on them, and attend their social functions. That’s all.
Some assume I buy their loyalty with money. Not at all. Even if you give people money, without genuine respect, they won’t stand with you. Today, I can easily pick up my phone and call former Governor Fayose, or even his wife. I also have cordial relationships with their children.
We are now one family, and the people appreciate that unity. There’s peace in the state. People can sleep with both eyes closed; there’s no tension, no violence. Everyone is happy, and Ekiti is better for it. It’s all about mutual respect and understanding.
Considering the clamour for more reserved seats for women in politics, what are your plans for women ahead of 2027?
If you look at our record, Ekiti ranks among the best in the country when it comes to gender equality and affirmative action. We currently have the highest number of women in the House of Assembly nationwide. My deputy is a woman; the Head of Service is a woman; the Secretary to the State Government is a woman; the Accountant General and the Accountant General for local governments are also women.
We have numerous women serving as councillors, vice chairpersons and chairpersons of local government councils. Perhaps only one or two states can rival our record. This strong tradition predates my administration. My predecessor’s wife, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, is a renowned gender activist, and she helped institutionalise structures that protect women’s rights in the state.
However, gender inclusion must go beyond political appointments and elective offices. We are also creating opportunities for women in the informal sector by providing resources and financial support to grow their businesses and trades. In every department of government, there is a desk dedicated to affirmative action.
As for the demand for reserved seats for women, that decision rests with the National Assembly. To be candid, it will be a tough one to actualise, but it’s a conversation we must continue to push.
It’s quite interesting all you’ve been doing in the last three years, but one area Ekiti State is known for is agriculture. What are you doing to leverage the state’s weather and landmass, especially to boost the citizens’ welfare and the economy?
When I asked if you had gone outside town, I wanted to know whether you visited our agric belt. Agriculture is one area where we have invested substantial resources, and Mr President has been supportive.
In the last one year, we have moved 5,000 youths from the streets to the farms, across 13 clusters in the state. We clear land for them, provide improved seedlings, tractorisation, land preparation and development, and we have also set up an aggregation company to buy their produce.
We have now scaled it up by introducing what we call the Renewed Hope Farm Dormitories. If you go to Ikere, I’m not sure why you didn’t get to one of them. The dormitory is built with hostels for males and females, a security house, a kitchen, a common room, internet access, and DStv for their comfort.
You can decide to stay on the farm for three to five days without missing anything from the city. We provide buses and ensure security across all clusters in partnership with local governments. I’m particularly proud of this initiative because there’s hardly any formal employment that can pull 5,000 people off the streets at once.
The Governor of Edo State, Monday Okpebholo, was here on Wednesday to commission a road project and one of the dormitories. We have completed six dormitories across six clusters in the state. Our plan is to scale up to 16, one per local government area, because one of the challenges the farmers face now is commuting daily to the farm, which is stressful. With the dormitories, they can stay over, make more money, and remain productive. They are happy, and I am equally excited about what we have achieved.
How do you navigate the influence of political godfathers while maintaining autonomy in governance?
On godfatherism, I think I have been somewhat lucky because in Ekiti State, we don’t have a history of predecessors lording it over their successors. We’ve never had that culture. And the reason is simple; we never had continuity in government. How do you talk of a man influencing his successor when they don’t even belong to the same political party?
The closest we’ve come to that was between former Governors Niyi Adebayo and Fayemi. Not because they succeeded each other, but because Otunba Adebayo was instrumental in bringing Fayemi into Ekiti politics. Yet, erstwhile Governor Adebayo left office in 2003, and Fayemi didn’t assume office until 2010. In fact, it was Governor Segun Oni who left before Fayemi came in.
When Fayemi became governor, Adebayo quietly left the state. I was part of that government, and he never interfered. At one point, people insinuated they had fallen out, but when I asked Adebayo, he told me, ‘I have given you someone capable of governing; why should I disturb him? Let him run his government.’
The same applied when I served as Secretary to the State Government under Fayemi. To his credit, he never interferes in my policies or decisions, except when I reach out for his advice. When he asked me to run for governor, he gave no conditions, no strings attached.
Of course, there are political interests at play; people may approach him to lobby for appointments, but those are things one can manage. On the whole, we don’t have the problem of predecessors imposing themselves on successors in Ekiti.
In fact, I was telling the Governors of Edo and Kogi States recently that once I leave office, I’ll let my successor run his government. After dealing with the pressures of governance for eight years, one should simply step aside and rest.
Ekiti State is known as the Fountain of Knowledge. How are you ensuring that public education matches this reputation in quality and outcomes?
Coming to education, as you rightly noted, we pride ourselves as one of the most educated states in the country, with the highest number of PhD holders per capita. There is hardly any household in Ekiti without at least one PhD holder. But are we still as strong as we used to be? The honest answer is no.
To reverse this trend, we have resolved to strike a balance between what you teach, how you teach, and where you teach. These three elements are critical to the future of education.
“What you teach” speaks to the currency and relevance of the curriculum.
“How you teach” focuses on teaching methods, teacher motivation, and welfare.
“Where you teach” concerns the learning environment, whether it is conducive and inspiring.
Our education policy seeks to address these gaps. We are currently focusing on the primary school level through UBEC interventions. However, our secondary schools lack a similar structure, and that is where we intend to focus attention in the next term. I am not satisfied with the current state of our secondary schools. There is no proper framework for their renovation or development, and this must change.
You cannot have a strong primary education system and a weak secondary one. Once we balance curriculum content, teacher welfare, and learning environment, the outcomes will significantly improve.
What are your fears over the opposition and the possibility of Ekiti people re-electing you, given the current economic hardship caused by your party’s policies, which have affected Nigerians, including Ekiti citizens?
Politicians are usually incurably optimistic, but I’m not. Some say Ekiti is a one-party state, yes, but as you rightly noted, we still have an opposition. However, we are waiting to know their candidate before determining the strategy to deploy. As of now, they don’t have a candidate.
We will continue to work until victory is secured, because the outcome of this election carries implications for the 2027 presidential contest. Once their candidate emerges, we’ll craft the appropriate strategy to respond. Are we jittery? No. But we won’t be complacent either, and we certainly won’t assume it’s Eldorado. We’ll work hard until the very last minute.
At the end of your tenure, where do you expect Ekiti to be?
Well, we have a 30-year development plan, which is an offshoot of our campaign manifesto. The plan outlines where the state should be at the end of each year. By 2030, by the grace of God, we envision an economically prosperous Ekiti, a state with thriving industries where people can live, work, and invest. We also want a secure state where indigenes will take pride in their identity and heritage. Our benchmark remains the development plan, and every year, we measure our progress against it, though it is now due for review.
