Babafemi Ojudu, former Special Adviser on Political Matters to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, has heavily criticized Ayodele Fayose, ex-governor of Ekiti State, calling him dishonourable and accusing him of lacking basic political acumen.
Ojudu made the remarks during an interview on Edmund Obilo’s State Affairs podcast, where he recounted his defeat of Fayose in the 2011 senatorial election. He alleged that Fayose’s return to power after his impeachment was due to vote-buying, with Ekiti residents swayed by the lure of food and small cash incentives amid poverty.
Ojudu said, “Fayose became governor again because people are hungry, vote for a pot of soup and N5000, everybody will vote in an environment of poverty.” He further stated that, despite having more financial resources, Fayose was defeated by Ojudu with 68,000 votes to Fayose’s 28,000.
In a story that highlighted the campaign contrast, Ojudu recalled a debate where he and Fayose squared off. He revealed that during the event, Fayose wore a T-shirt with the slogan “Politics is Serious Business” — but misspelled the word “politics.” Ojudu described how he seized on this mistake, telling the audience about Fayose’s inability to spell the word correctly.
“Today is my saddest day because I don’t know what to tell my 13-year-old daughter when I get back home – that the man who was my governor, who wants to go and represent Ekiti in the Senate, does not know how to spell politics,” Ojudu said, adding that this moment was a “killer punch” that left Fayose running out of the studio.
Tags: Babafemi Ojudu, Ayodele Fayose, Ekiti Politics, 2011 Election, Political Rivalries, Nigeria Politics