The ambassador of the United States of America to any country on the face of this earth is not an ordinary or mean person but a personage of repute; not necessarily on account of personal attributes, achievements or curricula vitae but by virtue of the country he represents.
USA is the richest, wealthiest, strongest, and most powerful nation on earth today.
It is in this wise that I examine last week’s visit of the US envoy in Nigeria, Mr Stuart Symington, to the Ekiti state governor, Mr Peter Ayodele Fayose. I will not be surprised if the Presidency is aghast at the visit, coming especially at this most auspicious or inauspicious time, depending on which side of the divide you are. If presidential spin doctors are mute on the visit, it cannot be that they are not miffed; they may only be exercising caution while exploring behind-the-scene moves to express their displeasure and do fire-fighting.
Symington made three important statements that cannot be ignored. One was the envoy’s pledge that the US would see to it that the July 14 governorship election in Ekiti is free, fair, and credible. Recalling the role played by the same US at seeing the back of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 and noting that the battle cry of Fayose has been that the looming governorship election be free and fair, the US envoy’s pledge is pregnant with meaning. Symington also described as laudable the infrastructural development of Ekiti by Fayose.
Who knows Fayose knows that this is his joker to win the July 14 election and install his deputy, Professor Kolapo Olusola, as governor and ensure what his team calls “continuity” Fayose never tires to take any person of note who visits Ekiti around his signature projects – the Ewi’s palace modernisation project; new High Court complex; new Oja Oba market; the flyover; new Governor’s Office; Adunni Olayinka centre; Ikere road daulisation and other dualisation projects spread across all the local governments; to mention but a few. Fayose is always quick to mention – and cannot be faulted – that every significant project in Ekiti had his signature, right from his from term in office. To crown it all, Symington said he had come to Ekiti to learn what Fayose, if he becomes president, had in store for Nigerians. Recall that in Abuja on Thursday, September 28, Fayose had declared his presidential ambition. Now, if the US is thinking, discussing, and talking about this, it must mean there is fire on their mountain in Abuja.
