The Many Ramblings of Gov Ayo Fayose By Lanre Shadiya

I schooled in Ekiti for five years and I had, and still have, very close relatives and friends in virtually every town of the State and in diverse sectors of the State’s economy. All of these people I still communicate with almost on a daily basis.

Virtually every one who follows Nigeria’s politics would have known Governor Peter Ayodele Fayose by now. He is the governor of Ekiti State in Southwest Nigeria. Fayose was elected, again in 2014 having been impeached by the Ekiti State House of Assembly in his first tenure as Ekiti State governor.

I am not, and will not be, a supporter of Fayose. God knows his kinds are not the ones I wish to be associated with, not even with the idiomatic long stick. I have heard the audio of the Ekiti State election between Fayose, Obanikoro, Omisore etc. and Gen. Momoh. Except one is intellectually jaundiced you will not argue the intentions of the team which was to ensure Fayose’s victory in the election. Having said that, I do not believe that Governor Fayemi did win, or could have won the election. Fayose is a grassroots politician that knows how to mobilize people and woo them (stomach infrastructure) to his advantage. Undisputedly he has a huge crowd of followers in the State. Fayemi is too sophisticated for that and cannot compete with Fayose in that area. I said it before the election that Fayose will win convincingly, and he did.

I have seen Fayose’s attacks on the health of Gen Buhari in the last few weeks. Had I not seen them myself but was told by someone else I would never have doubted it. I know these are things that Fayose can do and truly didn’t come as a surprise. The surprising parts is that none of the Party leaders have addressed the situation.

I am not against Fayose supporting Dr. Jonathan and expectedly against the candidature of General Buhari. Far from it. What I am against, is an individual, who has absolutely no control of his own life disseminating information and verdicts on the limited span of another man’s life. Fayose is not God. He is not even a god. Brandishing pictures of fallen Nigerian Presidents as a validation of Buhari’s death if voted into office is the highest acclamation of God’s position by any man. God gives life and takes it WHEN He deems it fit. There are lines that should not be crossed no matter the temptation or intensity of desires.

On Buhari’s trip to the UK, it has been confirmed that the General Buhari will be speaking at one of the sessions on Thursday February 26, 2015. Does this remove the fact that the General could go for medical treatment before or after the session? Absolutely not! General Buhari, like any other Nigerian or any citizen of the world, is absolutely free to seek medical treatment where he deem fit and safe. I do not have any information on whether the General will go for treatment or not. I tried but I couldn’t. However, I still do not see how this will eradicate the answer to the mass unemployment in the country. How will this reduce the corruption that has enveloped Nigeria? How will General Buhari’s medical treatment or not save the lives of fellow Nigerians that are now referred to as IDP? What I would have expected a governor to do is to keep mobilizing his people on the achievements or potential opportunities of voting his preferred candidate.

The Nigerian people have the right to vote for ANY NIGERIAN OF THEIR CHOICE as long as he/she fulfils the requirements of the constitution. If Fayose is scared of what a Buhari government will mean in terms of perceived intolerance to corruption, embezzlement of public fund and other criminal activities, I will suggest he address this in the court of law whenever he feels persecuted.

Linking illness, sickness or death on another man is totally immoral, inhumane and uncultured. Referring to General Buhari as a dying man belittles the office of the Governor that Ayo Fayose currently occupies. People in that office are expected to possess immeasurable decorum. If Nigerians are now clamoring for General Buhari, Fayose and his cohorts should begin to realize the uselessness, cluelessness and abject non-performance of the current government for Nigerians to now prefer a “dying man” to be in Aso Rock.