I have no regret campaigning for power shift to southern Nigeria – Fayose

The former Ekiti State governor, Ayo Fayose, said on Sunday he has no regret campaigning for power shift to the southern part of the country before the last general elections.

Fayose, who spoke on a Channels Television’s programme, Sunday Politics, declared that he was not afraid of expulsion from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for anti-party activities.

He also vowed to resist the temptation of switching to the All Progressives Congress (APC) despite Bola Tinubu’s new position as Nigeria’s president.

Fayose is an ally of the five governors that worked against the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and the party in the February 25 election.
He has not hidden his affection for President Tinubu and even visited him at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, last week.

READ ALSO: Fayose visits Tinubu, vows to remain in PDP

The ex-governor said: “I am still a member of the PDP except the PDP says ‘Fayose, we don’t you anymore.’ Then they have set me free of the yoke. But in all sincerity, it is a party that I believe in, subscribe to, and want to stay forever. I will never join the APC.

“I have never hidden in my position on Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. Let me remind you very quickly. I never knew Asiwaju will be president of Nigeria and there was no time in 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 that I have not celebrated his birthday on the pages of newspapers as the then-governor of Ekiti State. One of the messages I passed across at that time was that party politics notwithstanding, he will remain our leader in the West for long.

“Even when the APC was playing games, I stood up to remind President Muhammadu Buhari that Asiwaju was largely instrumental in his becoming president of Nigeria. As a Yoruba man, he deserves to be accorded his respect. I want to remind you again that in 2021, I said all the shenanigans against him by those behind him will be defeated.

“I never knew he will be president of Nigeria. When he got back from the knee surgery treatment that he went for, I openly, during the day, went all the way to Bourdillon to welcome him back. I counted the costs before I took those actions. If Tinubu is not an example to identify with, somebody like me would not identify with him.

“Let me also tell you that till today, I have not materially or by position benefited from Asiwaju. I was the first Nigerian despite being a member of the PDP to say that it is the turn of the South and I have no regrets making that statement.”

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now