An APC-dominated House
The crisis in the state may not just end with Fayose’s oath-taking, as analysts posit that another grave danger the governor-elect could have to contend with is the APC-dominated House of Assembly. Those who see this as an obstacle for Fayose fear that the House may frustrate his administration and even make things worse for him than he experienced in his first term. Reports had it at the heat of the impeachment of former Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State that the APC had vowed to replicate this in Ekiti after the swearing in of Fayose. The way the House had worked with Fayemi also shows that the APC House is a formidable force that should make Fayose tread softly.

But for those who view the country’s situation generally, that threat may just end with Fayose’s inauguration. To these people, since Nigeria is a place where anything goes, it may not be surprising to suddenly see the lawmakers defect to the PDP in order to continue to hold on to their positions. Just few weeks after Fayose’s electoral victory, speculations emerged that the lawmakers were plotting to move en masse to the PDP. The report, which has not been discredited so far, states that 13 lawmakers under the APC have concluded plans to move over to the PDP which becomes the ruling party in the state from October, with Ajibola Oyedele (Ekiti East Constituency Two), who is the lone PDP member of the House, now becoming the most celebrated by his colleagues. If this happens, it means Fayose’s prediction that the PDP would govern Ekiti for another 25 years could materialise.

Then, too, Akpabio, who named Fayose as the fulcrum of the PDP’s anticipated success in the south-western region of the country, would just have meant his statement. Moreover, before the important role was placed before him, he had gone round some parts of region including Lagos and Ogun, promising that these states would be won over to the PDP. During a ‘thank you’ visit to Lagos two weeks after the election, Fayose made it clear to the APC that he meant business. “I want to give the APC an assignment after leaving this place. After leaving this place, their leaders, their followers, should come and sweep the whole of Freedom Park for me. The conspiracy against me in 2006 is now their albatross. It is the problem they are facing now and that is what is going to take all of them out of government house, one after the other.”

The outcome of this challenge from Fayose is one Nigerians are watching out for come 2015. Then, the people would be able to tell which party truly holds the aces between Fayose’s PDP and the APC.