Former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose has described campaigns
of calumny by some aspirants, linking him with the All Progressives
Congress (APC) national leader, Senator Bola Tinubu, as “dead on
arrival,” pointing out that it will not guarantee anyone the People’s
Democratic Party (PDP) governorship ticket.
The former governor who reiterated his endorsement of the immediate
past PDP chairman in the State, Otunba Bisi Kolawole, declared that he
owed no one no apology as he was convinced that he (Bisi Kolawole) has
what it takes to win the election and govern Ekiti better.
In a statement on Friday, by his Spokesperson, Lere Olayinka, Fayose
said those moving from house to house in Abuja, calling him names will
by now be celebrating him and calling him “Saint Fayose” “if they were
the ones supporting.”
The statement issued on Friday, read; “Linking me with APC and Tinubu
in the desperation of some aspirants to clinch our party ticket, is
dead on arrival.
“In and out of office, Nigerians can attest to my commitment to the
PDP and opposition to the APC govt in defense of the ordinary
Nigerians.
“We have seen sitting governors defecting to APC, but in and out of
office, I remained steadfast with the PDP even in the face of
undeserved harassments.
“When did visits and interactions of our political leaders across
party lines become evidence of anti-party?
“As for the race for the PDP governorship ticket, I want to make it
expressly clear once again that I have no apologies for supporting
Bisi Kolawole.
“Those going from house to house in Abuja, looking for shortcuts to
the governorship ticket should rather go back to Ekiti and seek
support of the delegates who will decide the fate of our party’s
aspirants.
“To our party stakeholders, whenever they come to you in Abuja with
tales by moonlight about Fayose, let them be reminded that I am not an
aspirant, but cannot be wished away. They should rather go back home
and seek the necessary support as all politics is local. No shortcut!
“Eni ifa o to si lo npe ni haram (it is those who did not get the
endorsement that are calling it haram).
“If they were the ones I endorsed, I will be ‘Saint Fayose.’
“I want to make it expressly clear once again that I stand with Otunba
Bisi Kolawole, without apologies because he has what it takes to
govern Ekiti and with the support of God and Ekiti people, he will
surely win.”
