The Chairman of the PDP Caretaker Committee in Ekiti State, Hon. Dare Adeleke, has criticized Silverbird for conferring the title of “Man of the Year, 2024” on Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji.

In a statement released on Wednesday, Adeleke expressed his disapproval, describing the award as a “cash-and-carry” scheme. “It seems these annual awards have now become cash and carry. Imagine Thisday giving Man of the Year to President Tinubu, and Silverbird awarding its own version to one of the worst-performing governors in Nigeria, Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State. What a joke,” he said.

He further accused Oyebanji of underperforming as governor, citing deteriorating infrastructure and widespread poverty in Ekiti State. “Go to Ekiti and see the decaying condition of infrastructure and the poor lifestyle of the people. This is a man to whom governorship is all about cronyism and nepotism. He chooses friends and family for appointments, without a care for merit. The roads are all bad, and there is such disregard for the dividends of democracy that poverty is like a shadow following people around,” Adeleke stated.

Questioning the selection process for the award, Adeleke remarked, “You wonder what the criteria were for picking Oyebanji as Man of the Year. Is it that they picked the winner from the bottom? It is actually laughable. Have these people even tried to visit Ekiti State? Whether by air or by road, the consequences are the same: gnashing of teeth.

“He went on to highlight the state of Ekiti’s airport, accusing Oyebanji of refusing to commission an already existing facility out of personal interests. “If Silverbird ever tried to visit Ekiti before this discreditable award, they would realize that Ekiti’s airport is not better than a village football field—not because the state does not have a better airport, but because a vindictive Oyebanji has refused to commission an airport that is already in existence, regardless of the risks involved with using the old airport.”Adeleke also criticized Oyebanji’s governance on security issues, labeling him as “the worst governor in the entire Southwest.” He added, “On security, he scores zero. Kidnapping is still rampant in Ekiti. We must not forget how many lives have been lost in that state due to insecurity.”

Comparing Oyebanji to other governors, Adeleke questioned Silverbird’s decision: “What are the indices used by Silverbird to select their ‘Man of the Year’? We have His Excellency Engr. Seyi Makinde, whose developmental scorecard is colossal. We have Ademola Adeleke, who has done excellently in Osun, and without being partisan, Sanwo-Olu is doing well in Lagos. How come the worst of them becomes ‘Man of the Year’?”

He concluded by condemning the lack of merit in the awards, calling them a mockery of their original purpose. “These awards are now a comedy. They lack merit, and if I may say, seem as shady as the man Oyebanji himself. They have demeaned the good intentions of those who started these annual awards and diminished their importance,” Adeleke stated.

By Damilola Adeleke