- Refuses to receive Buhari to Ekiti
The journey to 2019 general elections in Nigeria appears to be rough. The animosity of political actors and government violence are gradually rising, leading to palpable tension in the polity.
Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has clearly drawn the battle line between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the July 14, 2018 governorship election and the 2019 general elections.
Accordingly, the Ekiti Governor extended the political battle to breach of official protocol in government requiring a governor to receive the President whenever he is visiting the state.
Fayose, thus, rejected the invitation from the Presidency to receive President Muhammadu Buhari on the 10th of July at Akure Airport, Ondo State. “I’m not coming to receive the President, he has not done anything for Ekiti,” Fayose protested. With his rejection, it is anticipated that the Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State and other APC leaders, including Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, may have to perform the duty and subsequently escort the president to Ekiti State for the APC mega rally.
National Daily gathered that at the Ekiti PDP Mega rally, Fayose cautioned the people of Ekiti against voting for the APC candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, in the July 14 governorship election, emphasizing that a vote for APC is a vote for Boko Haram and Fulani’s herdsmen.
The governor reiterated his accusation that APC is planning to the rig the governorship poll, admonishing that the people of the state were ready to resist any attempt to manipulate the election.
Fayose raised alarm that intimidation PDP leaders and supporters towards the governorship election started with the alleged closure of the Akure Airport to prevent governors and other party leaders from attending the PDP rally.
Fayose had declared: “INEC, we know your plan that you want to rig for APC, we will follow you bumper-to-bumper. We know your per-loaded agenda, how you are planning to release ballot papers to APC.
“We knew what you did in Kogi, we knew what you did in Ondo, we know your plan. Whether APC resorts to violence or not, Kolapo Olusola will be declared governor-elect of Ekiti State, Nigeria.
“I want to say that over ninety nine per cent of those who will conduct the election are not from Ekiti; youth corps members, police, INEC are not from here, leave our state alone.
“Look at this crowd, look at this young people, if you are living in our state, this is not a hired crowd, we don’t hire crowd here, these are people living in the state.”
“Since Monday, they have been arresting PDP people, they arrested three teachers. In this election, it will be 16-0, it will be 16-0 again, the 16-0 is loading. “I want to condemn the Federal Government for what they have done; why do you have to close the Akure Airport?
That is shameful, that is not patriotic, that is shameful.”
Comparing the President of France, Emmanuel Marcon, to President Muhammadu Buhari, Fayose said “This Country does not deserve an old man.”