From one perspective, Ayo Fayose has always loved a fight. At 65, the former Ekiti State governor still walks like a man who expects the next round to begin any moment. His political story, full of bruises and recoveries, reads like a long boxing match between fortune and defiance.
Born in Afao Ekiti in 1960, Fayose rose from modest beginnings to become a two-term governor, twice defeating incumbents in one of Nigeria’s most unpredictable states. His hold on the grassroots earned him admiration that borders on folklore. People still recall his habit of sharing meals with workers, eating amala by roadside joints, chatting like a man untouched by office.
That easy populism fueled both his rise and his troubles. His first term ended abruptly in 2006 with impeachment; the second, a decade later, came wrapped in controversy over election conduct and corruption probes. Yet, he always found a way back into the ring. Recently, after seven years in court, he celebrated a legal reprieve with his trademark grin. Fayose’s years in power left a trail of infrastructure projects and bold rhetoric. He styled himself as a voice of opposition during the Buhari era, hurling words that stung and amused in equal measure. Even now, his politics resist quietness. His friendly visits to President Bola Tinubu, an old adversary, sparked gossip about possible realignment.
Critics call him volatile. Supporters call him fearless. Both agree he makes politics feel alive. In an age when politicians speak in careful tones, Fayose remains impulsive, theatrical, and strangely transparent. You always know where he stands, even when he’s standing on shaky ground.
At 65, the man is more reflective, though no less vivid. His life suggests that grace is not the absence of scandal but survival through it. Fayose has stumbled, shouted, risen again, and, somehow, stayed interesting.
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