Fayemi Reveals 5 Election Gods Every Politician Must Satisfy

Former Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, has revealed what he described as the five “election gods” that every politician must satisfy to stand a strong chance of winning an election in Nigeria.

Naija News reports that Fayemi identified the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, the judiciary, non-state security actors and financial resources as key forces that political candidates must consider during an election.

The former governor made the disclosure in a book titled How To Win Elections in Nigeria, written by media entrepreneur and convener of the Best of Nollywood Awards, Seun Oloketuyi.

Fayemi, who served as Ekiti governor in two non-consecutive terms, said winning an election goes beyond having the support of voters or a strong campaign structure.

He explained that politicians must understand the political environment of the state where they are contesting and build relationships with important party leaders, elected officials, political appointees and other influential figures.

He said: “At the point I entered politics, state politics had assumed a violent edge and become toxic. Having lost the 2003 election to a rabble-rousing, populist politician whose party controlled the centre, the progressives were not only in search of a competing candidate, but also a bold one who could confront a sitting administration that was terrorising everyone (Dr. Ayo Daramola, an aspirant, had been killed).

“Even though my opponents tried to dismiss me as a ‘Tokunbo’ or ‘Atohunrinwa’ (an outsider politician), having bold conviction and strong external networks carried the day. Combined with a relentless grassroots campaign and a welfarist Eight-point Agenda mirroring the UPN’s historic four cardinal points, the strategy proved decisive.

“I emphasised my proximity to the centre and governance track record during my first four years in office, especially in light of the excruciating suffering of the citizens during the period my successor was in charge. In my experience, you must own your narrative,”

“In politics, your work does not speak for you, no matter how well you have performed. You have to constantly communicate with your various audiences: the intellectual elite, social media spaces, and traditional grassroots publics.

“Of course, you must also ‘own’ other political parties, the small ones mushrooming all over the place for their nuisance value, ‘adopt’ their party agents to assist your own main agents at the polling units. You must also maintain friendly, independent observer missions in the event of post-election controversy. These are non-negotiable.”