…forum warns presidency to avoid him

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum has berated former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, describing him as a “political liability” and a willing lackey of the Presidential Villa.

The forum took exception to Fayose’s comments on the recent meeting between President Bola Tinubu and Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, in which the former governor claimed that Makinde failed in his bid to regain Tinubu’s confidence and support for his own political interest.

“Even though Governor Makinde has explained to Nigerians the subject of his parley with the President, it is exigent to respond to Fayose’s latest gaffe, in order to draw attention to his degenerative public demeanour and the demeaning impact that it is having on the image of Nigerian politics.

“For his attribution of partisan motives to Makinde’s meeting with the President, among other negative implications, portrays Tinubu as a desperate leader, whose sole objective for interacting with the governors of states in the country he presides upon is to consolidate his hold on power.

“Fayose’s pathological tirade also suggests that the current leadership in Nigeria is only focused on political horse-trading and trade-offs, in exclusion of issues of governance and efforts towards addressing the nation’s development needs. The former Ekiti State Governor is indeed proving to be more a liability than an asset to the country’s body politic”, the forum reacted on Wednesday night through its Director-General, Dr Emmanuel Agbo.

The forum noted that of late, the former Ekiti governor had assigned to himself the role of the attack dog of the presidency and doing the bidding of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, just to remain relevant.

“As a former State Governor and one-time Chairman of PDPGF, the Forum regrets the degeneration in his conduct in Nigeria’s political arena and wishes to call on his loved ones to seek professional attention for Fayose, who is exhibiting symptoms of an abnormal condition. Nigerians would indeed be deeply gratified to be rid of the ridicule that elements like him are drawing to the nation’s political character”, it added.

The governors advised the Presidency to avoid men like Fayose as they would stain its name in their desperation to remain relevant.

“Nigeria’s democracy can be harmed by elements like Fayose, who only find relevance in an atmosphere of partisan hate and crises.

“The PDPGF, therefore, calls on the Presidency to dissociate itself from unsolicited hounds like him for the sake of sanity and in order to ensure decency in the nation’s politics”, it stated.

Fayose had claimed that during Makinde’s closed-door meeting with Tinubu on January 22, the President gave Makinde a “cold shoulder” and firmly separated governance discussions from politics.

He alleged Tinubu told Makinde he would only address Oyo state’s official development issues, not political complaints or alliances, and made clear he wouldn’t rely on Makinde’s support for the 2027 elections.

Fayose further linked Makinde’s subsequent criticisms of Tinubu, such as calling him a “dictator”, to frustration over this failed reconciliation attempt. (Tribune)

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