An Open Letter To Dr Kayode Fayemi

By JMO Ekundayo

I DID not intend to write you an open letter. I only wanted to respond like other Ekitikete to your hard fought and won victory on Ekiti Renewal Agenda WhatsApp platform as I woke up middle of the night while holidaying outside Nigeria when the writer in me was spurred to action. Let me state that I was present in Ado Ekiti on Saturday, 5th May 2018 doing a form of ethnographic survey of the aborted APC primary. Prior to this time, I was at the grassroots to get genuine feedbacks from Ekiti Kete.

Saliently and succinctly stated, Many Ekitikete will be waiting, believing to see a better Dr. John Kayode Fayemi who now understands the sociology of Ekitikete, who will not just stay at Isan Ekiti dishing out directives for people to gather to him but will rather go out to local Ekitikete in Efon, Aramoko, Ijero, Ido, Ikerre, Omuo, Emure, Igbara Odo, Otun, Iye, Ise, Ikole, Ilawe, Igede, Ogotun, etc., dinning and wining with them and ready to listen to them rather than believing he knows what they need. This is crucial and core if you will return to Oke Ayoba again. Doc, please do not treat this political contest as a familiar terrain, as a lot of water have passed under the bridge between June 2014 and now. Unfortunately, you made your intention to run known about a month ago even though prior to your declaration you often summoned your adherents and followers to your country home at Isan Ekiti testing the waters!

One good thing: exhibiting humility by starting to apologize to Ekitikete. Let Dr. JKF act the full script in humility. That done; I will be one of your iconoclastic followers. To your ardent disciples and followers, they need to do a lot for you at the grassroots not billboard or money politics campaign. Basically, with you at the forefront, you need a down to heart issue based campaign meeting with strategic stakeholders in the Ekiti project in humility! Google and learn from erstwhile USA First Lady, Senator Hilary Clinton, who, while running for the Senate seat did nothing than going round and emphatically listen to electorates . She won. Dr. Fayemi, you can take a cue as you have not seemingly displayed and depicted you fully grasped the sociology of Ekitikete between June 2014 and now. I am still feeling the ‘pain’ that defeat inflicted on some of us. I mean it. Anyway, congratulations on a hard won victory.

Before, I go; Doc, please work on your ardent supporters, followers and disciples. You are refined and urbane as a person, having met you at close quarters. In slugging it out with other contestants in the race to Oke Ayoba, caution them against the use of uncouth, uncivilised and un-dignifying mannerism that could mar your chances and so portray you as an Abuja product, with powerful influential backing, forced and foisted upon Ekitikete. Please take this seriously as I am writing frankly to you as ethnographic scholar and researcher in followership and leadership, having interfaced with Ekitikete in my traversing and triangulating Ekiti landmass.

Once again, congratulations to Dr. John Kayode Fayemi, Ekiti APC gubernatorial candidate. I wish you the best while I remain one of your few iconoclastic followers.