Dr Kayode Fayemi

Governor of Ekiti State

Date of Birth: 09/02/1965
Place of Birth: Isan-Ekiti

Education: West African School Certificate, Christ’s School, Ado Ekiti, 1980; Higher School Certificate, Federal School of Arts and Science, Ondo, 1980-82; BA, University of Lagos, 1982-85; International Relations, University of Ife, Ile-Ife, 1987; PhD, War Studies, King’s College, London, 1993.

Career: Lecturer, Nigeria Police Training Centre, Sokoto, 1985-86; Research Officer, Development and Management Consultants, Ikeja, 1989; Research Officer, African Research and Information Bureau, London, 1991-93; Strategy Development Advisor, Deptford City Challenge, London, 1993-95; Secretary General, Media Empowerment for Africa, 1995-97; Director, Centre for Democracy and Government, 1997-06; challenger, election results, Ekiti State, 2007 to 2010. Governor, Ekiti State, October 2010 to present.

Commentary: Fayemi contested the Ekiti State elections for governor against Oni in 2007 and 2009. An appeal he lodged against Olusegun Oni’s 2007 victory resulted in a rerun election attended by controversy and violence. In May 2009, it was announced Fayemi had lost the rerun and had to go back to the courts but the appeals court overturned the decision and Fayemi was sworn in as Governor of Ekiti State in October 2010, after having fought for four years in the courts to win the governorship stolen from him by the PDP’s Segun Oni.

Fayemi is a former Director of the Centre for Democracy and Development, a research and training institution. He founded and ran the underground Radio Kudirat radio transmissions that irked General Abacha while he was dictator. Radio Kudirat was funded by and named after Kudirat Abiola, wife of Moshood Abiola who Abacha imprisoned for stating he won annulled presidential elections.  

Dr Fayemi spoke to Africa Confidential about the election crisis in Ekiti State in May 2009.