A former governor of Ekiti state, Kayode Fayemi has fired back at legal luminary, Afe Babalola (SAN), over the statement he made about the previous leaders of the state.
Babalola alleged on Monday that former governors of Ekiti had strayed from the foundational visions of the state’s creators, failing to establish a robust structure for its advancement.
Babalola’s critique, which did not single out any former governor by name, suggested a collective shortfall in leadership that hindered the state’s progress.
Responding to these allegations, Fayemi, in an interview with ThisDay, accused Babalola of having a “narcissistic personality disorder,” a pointed diagnosis implying that the legal luminary is unable to acknowledge the positive contributions of others.
Fayemi defended his tenure, arguing that Babalola’s assessment was biased and overlooked the achievements of his administration.
He further emphasized that the 94-year-old lawyer has consistently been unsupportive of his political endeavors, hinting at a long-standing partisan rift between them.
Fayemi said, “It is important for people to know this is malicious and not a dispassionate and objective assessment.
“The only thing I brought to public service is my name and I won’t let people take my silence as consent as far as Chief Babalola’s opinion is concerned.
“He never supported me, he supported Segun Oni in the 2007 election. But that’s fine.
“He has a right to support anyone. I don’t begrudge him for that. Even when I challenged the stolen mandate in 2007, he was Segun Oni’s lawyer in court.
“So, as far as he was concerned, this little David defeated the giant Goliath of Ekiti. Despite that, I embraced him as governor and asked him to chair the Airport Viability Committee, which he was keen on during my first term in office.
“Age is supposed to imbue one with a level of circumspection in what one says, but not this old man who believes he owns Ekiti and any governor who chooses not to grovel before him and shower him with sycophantic adulation of the Almighty Afe Babalola must be brought down.
“Unfortunately, I will not grovel before any human being. Only God is Almighty in my books.
“Chief Afe Babalola has always been unfair to me personally, and to Governors Adebayo and Fayose equally. I can say categorically without any fear of equivocation that every governor that has occupied the exalted seat in Ekiti performed well in the circumstance they operated in.
“They all handed the baton to their successors who took the state further than they met it.
“Chief Babalola’s prejudiced view can never be the final word on their times in the office, certainly not on my time in office because I know and the record is crystal clear that I improved the state on every developmental index than I met the state.
“But then, Chief Afe Babalola is an old man and as well brought up Omoluabi, one should grant him the indulgence of failing memory that comes with age.
“I’m, however, glad that he recognised the good in Governor Oyebanji.
“We will continue to applaud his contribution to Ekiti State but I hope Baba is not suffering from a narcissistic personality disorder that prevents him from seeing the good in others even as he relishes his exaggerated sense of self.”
