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Buhari’s victory secured ‘at barrel of the gun’, Fayose says, asks Nigerians not to lose hope

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They're not mine! Fayose claims EFCC sealing houses belonging to 'innocent' people in Ekiti

Immediate past governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose has described Muhammadu Buhari’s emergence as President for another four years as a victory secured “at the barrel of a gun”.

Fayose congratulated and commended Nigerians for the courage to stand against what he further tagged “gun-point democracy,” adding that Buhari’s victory deserved no celebration by the winner.

There have been mixed reactions, after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) early hours of Wednesday morning, declared Buhari as winner of last Saturday’s presidential election that was characterised by killings, ballot box snatching and other electoral irregularities.

Responding to the development in a statement through his Media aide, Lere Olayinka, Fayose called on Nigerians not to lose hope, assuring them that help will come someday.

He said, “Rather than a word of congratulation to President Buhari, who will be leading our country against our wish as a nation, Nigerians are the ones who deserved to be praised for their courage.”

He described the roles played by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies in the election as shameful, saying “their inordinate and inglorious desire to deprive Nigerians of a credible leadership was made manifest from the start.”

The former governor said the brazen manner in which the election was conducted and “won” further played out the reason Justice Walter Onnoghen was removed as the Chief Justice of Nigeria.

“At the barrel of the gun, today, Nigerians are cowed and captured evidently by the non-celebration of this Pyrrhic victory by anyone in Nigeria except those who hoped to benefit directly from it, which is characteristics of a thief that came in the night to deprive residents of their belongings, leaving them in anguish and nightmare.

“This election will remain in the annals of our history as a nation as a bare-faced rape on democracy.

“Rather than celebrating today, Nigerians, especially those whose loved ones were brutally murdered for a cabal to sustain their hold on the country are moody and sad. However, in their quiet moment, they are consoled with the fact that no one can attain everlasting joy by subjecting others to perpetual sorrow.

“Definitely, the blood of those innocent Nigerians that were murdered just to actualize this inordinate ambition will speak justice on the heads of the perpetrators and beneficiaries of the killings and also speak better things for our tomorrow, having paid the supreme prize,” he said.

READ ALSO: ELECTION RESULTS: Forget the Tribunal, be a statesman, Agbakoba counsels Atiku

While reiterating his avowed commitment to the defense of the oppressed in the country, the former governor said; “As already known, I am not afraid of arrest and detention. I have been persecuted and still being persecuted because of my stand on national issues and I will remain undaunted.

“Let me therefore commend Nigerians and tell them that they should not lose hope because help will come someday.

“As for the President; no victory songs for him, he should rather begin a soul-searching, constantly asking himself why he opted to drag Nigeria and its democracy back to the FEDECO years of 1979 and 1983 in which votes were merely allocated to candidates.”

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