Former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose announced his resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and his exit from partisan politics on Wednesday. This decision came just hours after the PDP lost the presidential election to the All Progressives Congress (APC). During an appearance on ARISE TV, Fayose revealed that the PDP’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, had rejected an offer of a one-term presidency to secure the support of the G5 governors. Ultimately, Atiku lost in the states governed by the G5, with APC’s Bola Tinubu winning three states and Labour Party candidate Peter Obi winning two.
In his resignation announcement, Fayose stated, “From today, I stay off PDP.” When asked if this constituted a resignation, he clarified, “Let me put it this way, in party politics. Because there are certain facts. I am 62. I say it here from today, I step aside because I must be talking like a leader in this country.” He mentioned that he had previously warned the PDP about impending issues that could jeopardize the party’s future, stating, “I warned the PDP about this problem. If not resolved, it will consume this party. I told them there is danger ahead. Watch it.”
Fayose recounted a meeting with Atiku Abubakar in Lagos, where he outlined four demands made by the G5 governors. He emphasized that at 76 years old, Atiku was already a candidate and could not “abort a child that has been given birth to.” Fayose urged Atiku to communicate to the Southern states that he would serve only one term, to avoid the perception of a continuous Northern presidency, especially following President Buhari’s tenure. He criticized Atiku’s advisors for their reluctance to publicly commit to this one-term promise.
Additionally, Fayose accused the National Chairman of the PDP, Iyiorcha Ayu, of contributing to the party’s electoral failure. He urged the party to accept defeat and alleged that they were sponsoring protests against the election results. “This Ayu was the one who led Atiku to the gutters. They took him to the gutters. You see, when a man cannot come out, at 80, what does he want to do after?” he remarked.
In response to a video of a civil society organization protesting the election results in Abuja, Fayose expressed skepticism about their legitimacy, stating, “Let me first fault the people I saw here today, that are calling themselves civil society. No, they are PDP members.” He identified individuals involved in the protests as PDP members and accused the party of financially supporting these demonstrations to create the appearance of widespread discontent. “You can count the number of protesters here in an election that attracted almost 22 million people,” he added.
Regarding the upcoming governorship election in Lagos State, Fayose criticized the PDP candidate, describing them as unprepared for the serious business challenges in Lagos. He encouraged voters in Lagos to support the current governor, Sanwo-Olu, stating, “There are lots of challenges in Lagos. So I enjoin everybody in Lagos to return Sanwo-Olu.”
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