– in sympathy with deputy over ‘stolen mandate’
– PDP will sack APC in 2019 – Kwankwaso
– Turaki laments insecurity, canvasses restructuring
Ekiti state governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, has dropped his presidential ambition in sympathy with his deputy, Prof Kolapo Olosola, whose mandate he alleged was stolen in the last governorship election in the state.
Olusola, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate in the election lost to the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate and a former governor of the state, Dr Kayode Fayemi, now Governor-elect.
He said on Saturday that he is discontinuing his 2019 presidential ambition.
The governor was one of the earliest persons in the country to indicate intention to contest for the nation’s number one position early in the year, in spite of warnings that the party zoned the position to the North.
He dropped the hint on Friday when he received the duo of former governor Rabiu Kwankwaso and former minister, Kabir Turaki Taminu, (both presidential aspirants) who came to lobby him and delegates in the state PDP.
He said he had to drop the ambition as mark of sympathy and concern for his deputy, Olusola who lost in the last gubernatorial election in the state.
According to him: “I dropped the presidential ambition because of the stolen mandate freely given to my deputy.
“As a good leader, I cannot abandon my loyal deputy whose mandate was stolen by the APC and be pursuing another ambition. My posters are there in a room. I am committed to the recovery of the mandate for now more than anything else.”
He said that the APC leaders including former Governor of Lagos state, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, do not love President Muhammadu Buhari adding that, they all went into exile during his regime.
Fayose urged the PDP to pick the best candidate so that Nigerians could have a choice in 2019.
He said: “We must approach this battle with as a united body. This is a wake-up call for all the aspirants. We want a man in whom the future of the country is guaranteed.”
On his presidential ambition, the governor said that he dropped the ambition because of the alleged stolen of the mandate freely given to his deputy, Prof Kolapo Olusola, by the people.
In his remarks, Kwankwaso admitted that the APC which he was part of, made a mistake in their change mantra by picking Buhari.
He said: “We all know what is happening as a result of the change we made. We regretted it and it was a mistake. We must change the change.
“With your support and the support of the others, PDP will sack APC in 2019 and form the government at the centre.
“I have come to Ekiti to solicit for your support and through you, to ask for the support of the delegates. We are all aware of the challenges we face as a country. I believe I have the capacity to put things right just as we did in Kano where we almost performed a miracle.”
Also, another aspirant of the party and former Minister, Saminu Turaki who was in the state to canvass for support of the delegates, warned that the unity of the country was in great threat.
He said: “Today, Nigerians are divided like never before. The survival of the country is in serious jeopardy and her unity is under threat because we have a clueless and inept leadership.”
He noted that insecurity bordering the country in 2015 was just the remnants of the Boko Haram terrorists who have been chased to the border towns, one expects the APC to have settled the issue but now, they (Boko Haram insurgents) have regrouped and retooled with the Federal Government money.
“Everyday, hundreds of people are killed across the country by criminal herdsmen and nobody has been arrested or prosecuted. The souls of the dead are crying for justice in their graves.
“In 2015, Nigeria’s economy was number one in Africa because we made people believe in themselves, but today, Nigeria’s economy has collapsed and investors are divesting from the country.
“Corruption did not start with the PDP but, the party created critical institutions to tackle corruption. Most of the people being tried were PDP leaders. The Freedom of Information Act was passed under the PDP government.”
The Senior lawyer said that among all the aspirants of the party, he is best qualified for the job at hand in the country.
Turaki noted that he believes in the restructuring of the country but lamented that the constitution is making restructuring an impossible task.
NAN/Tribune
