“Omode’n fe Adu, Agbagba’n fe Adu, Omode’n fe Adu o… Adu ma da…”.
\nTranslated: “Children & Youths love Adu, Elders love Adu. Adu is
\ngood”.<\/p>\n
These words coupled with melodious tunes blared out of mighty speakers
\nby popular Fuji artiste Saheed Osupa as he extolled the virtues of
\nAyoleke Adu, a philanthropist, financial analyst and investment
\nbanking expert and politician amidst thunderous excitement and
\nfanfare.<\/p>\n
To the teeming supporters and townspeople in his hometown Omuo
\nEkiti… he is somewhat of a demi-god.<\/p>\n
Ayoleke Adu definitely needs no ceremonial introduction.<\/p>\n
Ayoleke Adu’s name has not only become etched in the political skyline
\nof Ekiti and Nigeria as a whole but in the banking and finance
\nstratosphere where he is largely revered and respected as a major
\nplayer.<\/p>\n
Quite a few people would ask… How does a home grown boy from primary
\nand secondary school in Omuo Ekiti with a B.Sc from the University of
\nIbadan go on to acquire an M.Sc in Corporate and International Finance
\nwith Distinctions, from the University of Durham, United Kingdom and
\nthen become one of the world topmost investment banker with a
\nportfolio of transactions worth more than 270 billion Naira in the
\nNigerian capital market and then aggressively wins a spot in the
\nglobal spotlight as a CFA charter holder, where there are less than
\n100,000 CFA Charterholders globally since the inception of the CFA
\nCharter over 67years ago?<\/p>\n
Guts, exceptional brilliance, perseverance, calmness, focus,
\nexperience, humility and charm.<\/p>\n
Ayoleke Adu comes with the total package.<\/p>\n
Despite the level of success he has recorded in the banking, finance
\nand investment sector, Adu has never lost touch with his Ekiti roots
\n(He has never stayed away for more than a month on a stretch) as he
\nconsiders it his project.<\/p>\n
A strong member of the APC, Adu signified his interest last year to
\nrepresent the Ekiti South Senatorial district in the Upper Chamber.<\/p>\n
A philanthropist and major financier of the party, Adu was viciously
\nschemed out of the party primaries (which he won by 298votes in the
\nfirst round of the primaries as counted by the NWC of the APC in
\nDecember 2014; which was then frustrated) in a grand plot despite his
\npopularity to pave way for the incumbent senator, Tony Adeniyi in a
\nkeenly contested race that lasted till the day of the expiration of
\nthe primaries despite mass protest by party loyalists who besieged the
\nAjilosun office of the APC on the choice of Adeniyi and the obvious
\ndisappointment shown by the national official umpire of the process,
\nMary Ekpere.<\/p>\n
The lady (umpire) called it pure sabotage blatantly orchestrated by
\nthe state excos! The effect of the grand sabotage is now left for all
\nto see: that seat was eventually lost to the PDP; despite the fact
\nknown to all that Adu would have won the general elections hands-down
\nif he was not robbed of the ticket. His overwhelming popularity in
\nEkiti South Senatorial District would have also assisted the 2 house
\nof representative candidates of the APC to win in their
\nconstituencies. This was what the Ekiti APC threw to the winds!<\/p>\n
Ayoleke Adu is in the news again…<\/p>\n
This time at the national level due to the prominent role he played in
\nthe success story of the\u00a0 APC at the presidential polls, where he
\nworked assiduously and delivered as the South-West and North-Central
\nCoordinator of Prof Yemi Osinbajo; marshalling and leading the
\nexecution of many of the campaign strategies adopted by Prof
\nOsinbajo team.<\/p>\n
This was confirmed at the palace of the Olomuo, Oba Noah Omonigbehin
\nby the Vice President (Then VP Candidate) Professor Yemi Osinbajo when
\nhe visited Omuo Ekiti during the campaigns.<\/p>\n
Professor Osinbajo showered encomiums on Ayoleke Adu while assuring
\nthe people that Ekiti would benefit greatly from the Presidency
\ndespite it being in opposition hands.<\/p>\n
Adu currently works closely with the Vice President team.<\/p>\n
Right now its no longer news that Governor Fayose has asserted his
\nfirm grip on the political skyline in the state, winning not only his
\nelections in an embarrassing manner but also the Senate and House of
\nReps seat as well as the entire State House of Assembly seats.<\/p>\n
To an extent the Governor, Ayodele Fayose has capitalized on the
\nfailings of the APC like a girlfriend who capitalizes on the flaws of
\nher lover housewife. Therefore urgent rebuilding, strategic analysis
\nand rebranding is needed to save the party if it is to win future
\nelections.<\/p>\n
In recent weeks the outgone 19 APC legislators in the state House of
\nAssembly have added salt and pepper to injury, incurring the wrath of
\nthe people by their poorly planned and failed move to impeach the
\ngovernor.<\/p>\n
For over 2 weeks driver’s unions, artisans and various groups
\nbarricaded the various entry points into the state to deter the APC
\nlawmakers from coming in while their movements and pictures were
\nshared freely on social media, leading to the general belief that they
\neither had moles within them or where simply playing to the gallery!<\/p>\n
A very ill-managed move which not only brought ridicule to the already
\nbattered image of the Ekiti APC but also helped bolster the image of
\nAyo Fayose as he declared that the APC was buried in the state during
\nthe inauguration of the 5th assembly in a carnival like setting.<\/p>\n
It will not be an understatement to say the Ekiti APC will be on a
\nself destruct agenda if it does not go fully back to the drawing
\nboards and re-examine the roles played by some of the actors in the
\n16-0, 9-0, 26-0 mauling in recent elections.<\/p>\n
The current leadership of the APC in the state have done their best,
\nbut their best is proven not to be adequate due to various constraints
\nthey have (or imposed on them), as shown by the glaring results of the
\npast mauling of the APC candidates in recent elections. The current
\n“super-leaders” of the State APC should rather work quietly behind the
\nscenes for the success of the party while fresh, energetic and
\ninfluential persons should be given the privilege at various levels.<\/p>\n
That is the party’s only chance for now.<\/p>\n
Also the act of imposition which has characterized the Ekiti State APC
\nprimaries should be discarded. Only popular interest should be allowed
\nto prevail at all levels.<\/p>\n
The party must also do away with unhealthy affiliations, groups and
\nalliances, but work deeply in the grassroots to rebuild trust of the
\nelectorates.<\/p>\n
People who cherish and possess the virtues and values that Ekiti is
\nrevered for and have an appreciable level of likeness by the people,
\nlike Ayoleke Adu should be encouraged to contest on the platform of
\nthe party.<\/p>\n
Right now there is a heightened clamour for the Ekiti South Senatorial
\ndistrict to produce the next governor of the state because the zone
\nhas not produced one in the 19 years of the state existence…<\/p>\n
The Ekiti APC definitely needs someone with national and international
\ninfluence who can attract foreign investments and industry to the
\nstate and also convert the agricultural and mineral potentials the
\nstate possesses to income. This would in turn create employment and
\nopen up the state to investors as the monthly allocation cannot even
\nconveniently pay salaries.<\/p>\n
This person should be someone that can conveniently play grassroots
\npolitics with boardroom expertise. A person with some local “swagger”
\nbut definitely a technocrat whose personal life and achievements can
\nhelp mentor the incoming generation. After all Ekiti is revered for
\nits intelligentsia!<\/p>\n
A look through Ayoleke Adu’s qualifications and achievements both in
\npolitics and the business world makes it so glaring that he might just
\nbe a messiah which is what the Ekiti APC needs very urgently if it is
\nto win any future elections in Ekiti state.<\/p>\n
After all “Omode’n fe Adu, Agbagba’ n fe Adu, Adu ma da”…<\/p>\n
Bamidele Ifeoluwa writes from Ikere Ekiti.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
“Omode’n fe Adu, Agbagba’n fe Adu, Omode’n fe Adu o… Adu ma da…”. Translated: “Children & Youths love Adu, Elders love Adu. Adu is good”. These words coupled with melodious…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":39361,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39360","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles-opinions"],"yoast_head":"\n