When Celebration Becomes a Political Rallying Point

Though the ceremony was meant to bring together friends and family for holy matrimony and the celebration of love, the wedding of one of Governor AbiodunOyebanji’s children in Ibadan achieved more result as it united the Ekiti political class behind the governor. Raheem Akingbolu reports.

Three different events have taken place recently that were meant to be strictly private affairs, but they all contributed to the political resume of Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji.

The first was the Governor’s 57th birthday on December 21, 2024 which he  tried unsuccessfully to curtail but ended up being used by the Ekiti people to celebrate him for his achievements. Then came December 26, 2024 when the Governor paid a Christmas homage to his predecessor,  DrKayodeFayemi at his Isan Ekiti country home, which also subtly set a tone for the Governor’s second term.

The last, and perhaps most politically significant event, was the January 4, 2025 wedding ceremony of the governor’s daughter in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

The Oyebanjis and their in-laws were said to have settled for the first weekend of the year and Ibadan in an attempt to make the ceremony a private affair, but they were proved wrong.

According to a family source, the governor had thought most people would be busy with their families after the festive period and might not be able to attend the wedding, but members of his political family defied the exigency of the period and registered their presence at the Ibadan wedding.

“As much as possible, Governor Oyebanji tried to draw a line between official matters and personal issues, and that was what he tried to do during his daughter’s wedding, as he has consistently done with his birthday anniversary. Don’t forget, his family settled in Ibadan, where his wife worked before he assumed office in Ekiti as Governor. His choice of the ancient city was to try and make the wedding a family affair, but he was outsmarted. Politicians within and outside Ekiti who admire Governor Oyebanji saw the wedding as an opportunity to express their love for him. I must confess, the Governor was overwhelmed by the crowd, and I know he didn’t bargain for what he saw, especially with the presence of Vice-President KashimShettima, Governors, National Assembly members, and who’s who in Ekiti politics,” the source said.

A similar display of love had taken place in December, 2024 when Governor Oyebanji, in his usual style, had thought his birthday would be a private affair to share love with children with special needs and those in various orphanage homes in Ekiti. In 2022 and 2023, the governor succeeded in restricting his birthday celebration through special announcements. In 2024, he must have assumed that it had become a norm and that Ekiti people would accept it, but again people proved him wrong. Ekiti people, within and outside Nigeria, who had been waiting patiently for an opportunity to celebrate Oyebanji for what he’s doing in Ekiti, saw his 57th birthday as an opportunity to celebrate him. However, it didn’t attract any jamboree, but Ekiti people used the occasion to pour out their minds and drum their support for his re-election.

If the birthday anniversary was used by the people to express their love and appreciation for Oyebanji, the December 26 Christmas visit by the Governor to his predecessor at Isan Ekiti, which also coincided with a meeting/end-of-year get-together of the All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders across the 16 local governments areas, was a clear case of endorsement for a second term in office.

Before the visit, political jobbers and armchair analysts had bombarded the streets with tales of a rift between Oyebanji and Fayemi. No doubt, former Governor Fayemi had had enough of the lies and was ready to puncture them. Contrary to his taciturn nature, Dr. Fayemi didn’t allow the opportunity to slip by; he seized it and gave his verdict on Oyebanji. He didn’t only commend Oyebanji for his performance in office, but the former Governor also declared support for Oyebanji’s second-term bid.

He said the governor had done creditably well, adding that he should be supported for continuity. Dr. Fayemi, however, said his endorsement does not mean other aspirants cannot contest for the governorship ticket.

His words: “I am a democrat, so I cannot discourage anybody from contesting for the party’s ticket. Anybody who feels he is capable can contest for the party’s ticket.

What I am saying is that, as for me and my entire family, we are for BiodunOyebanji’s second term in office.

“We have all agreed that our governor is an Omoluabi who has performed exceedingly well within the last two years. And we all agreed that if we support him as our candidate, the people of Ekiti will joyfully follow us. So, the best thing to do is to rally support for him so he can continue the good governance till 2030.

“I am a democrat, and during my time, I contested against no fewer than 30 other aspirants in 2007, and in 2018, not less than 26 other aspirants showed interest. So, as a democrat, I cannot ask anybody not to show interest. Anybody who feels he is sufficiently capable can show interest, should go ahead,” the former Governor added.

The declaration was greeted with thunderous applause from the over 5,000 party leaders in attendance at the meeting.

Oyebanji, who expressed appreciation to Fayemi and other party leaders, said he was humbled by the open declaration by his “boss, mentor, and benefactor.”

He said he will do everything possible not to disappoint Fayemi and other leaders of the APC.

Like the Isan meeting, the Ibadan wedding gathering suddenly became a political gathering and a unified platform for Ekiti political gladiators. Before the wedding, Oyebanji had been praised for uniting Ekiti political leaders, irrespective of their affiliations. The wedding, which took place at the serene University of Ibadan Conference Centre, lend credence to this popular notion.

Speaking on the relevance of the wedding to Ekiti unity and Oyebanji’s political relevance, a former member of the House of Representatives and current Senior Special Assistant to President Tinubu on National Assembly matters (House of Representatives), Hon. Ibrahim Olanrewaju, said the Ibadan wedding has further spoken volumes of Governor Oyebanji as a unifier.

“While I congratulate Governor Oyebanji for the successful wedding, I congratulate him more for being a unifier and change agent. I was particularly delighted to see Ekiti leaders, irrespective of the parties, including the apolitical, under the same roof and celebrating with the state governor. It’s a rare feat, and I pray it continues,” Olanrewaju said.

As observed by the Presidential aide, one lesson that can be learned from the recent developments is that Oyebanji’s good nature, commitment to service, and his politics of unity are fast redefining the Ekiti political environment and repositioning the governor for a second term in office.