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I’ll Never Join APC, No Regrets Working Against Atiku, PDP – Fayose
A former governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose, has said that he has no regret working ‘one hundred percent’ against the presidential ambition of Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in the build-up to the February 25 election.
Fayose further stated that he was not afraid of being kicked out of the party for anti-party activities, and vowed never to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress following the victory of President Bola Tinubu.
The politician made the revelation when he was featured on ‘Politics Today’ on Channels Television on Sunday night.
“I am still a member of the PDP except the PDP says ‘Fayose, we don’t want 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,” he said.
Continuing, the two-term governor noted that he has never hidden his admiration for the President who has more than proven in time past that he is the new leader of the Yoruba race.
Fayose also admitted to placing birthday adverts in major newspapers consistently for many years during his reign as Ekiti governor.
He said, “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 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.”
According to him, Nigerian politicians must learn to remain upright leaders beyond party politics.
This was even as the former governor claimed he won’t feel bad if he is expelled from the opposition party, saying his sacrifice for Nigeria’s unity will be appreciated someday.
“I am 63 years of age. I won’t jump from one bed to another. I would rather leave politics if it will get to that stage. When Buhari became president in 2015, the majority of our party leaders including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar left the PDP and went to support Buhari. Otherwise, the PDP would have still been in power. So don’t let us go there. Now that election has come and gone and we are in governance. Do we now say that Asiwaju is the president of APC? The answer is no. If I can go to Bourdillon to see him during the day without hiding, going to see him at the Villa is what?
“Don’t get it wrong. I worked against him (Atiku) 100 per cent. Nigeria is bigger than the PDP, APC and even Asiwaju himself. Let us call a spade a spade. I am not a man that will hide my action. If PDP doesn’t need me again, they cannot say I cannot live. But I love the PDP even though the party has not been fair to me. I am a principled man. So let me say to you, chill. I never worked for PDP during the last election. I am not a liar or a pretender. I did not work for PDP,” he stated.
By Eric Elezuo
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has been declared winner of the presidential primary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The declaration was made at the Trascorp Hilton Hotel, where the final collation of results was made.
The former Vice President polled a total of 1, 846, 370 votes to defeat his closest rival, former Governor of Rivers State, Hon Rotimi Amaechi, who scored just over 500 thousand votes. Alhaji Muhammed Hayatu-Deen came third.
Headlines
ADC Presidential Primary: Hayatu-Deen Alleges Rigging, Withdraws from Results Announcement
One of the presidential aspirants of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, says he will not attend the announcement of the party’s presidential primary election results, citing allegations of widespread vote rigging.
In a statement on his X handle on Tuesday, Hayatu-Deen expressed concern over reports of electoral irregularities from across the country.
The ADC aspirant noted that he witnessed some of the incidents.
“I will not be attending the announcement of the ADC Presidential Election Results today. I am concerned by reports from across the country of widespread vote rigging, some of which I myself observed, and will therefore be taking advice on my next steps,” the statement read.
The development comes amid keen competition for the ADC presidential ticket involving former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Minister of Transportation and former Governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, and Hayatu-Deen.
The ADC presidential primary election collation exercise will take place in Abuja. Results are expected from across the nation.
Ahead of the nationwide presidential primary held on Monday, the ADC had urged aspirants, party leaders, delegates, and members to conduct themselves peacefully and uphold party unity.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, described the exercise as a defining moment for both the ADC and Nigerians seeking a credible political alternative.
According to him, the party remained committed to internal democracy and a transparent leadership selection process.
“The ADC remains proud to stand today as the only truly democratic party in Nigeria because it is the only political party whose choice of presidential candidate is determined through open primaries,” Abdullahi stated.
The party also stressed that the conduct of aspirants and party members during the exercise would reflect the leadership culture the ADC seeks to promote.
Headlines
You’re Not Different from APC, INEC, Amaechi Slams ADC, Rejects Presidential Primary Results
A former Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has rejected the results of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential primaries, alleging widespread voter disenfranchisement and electoral malpractice.
Amaechi, in a statement posted on his X handle on Tuesday, described the outcome of the exercise as “concocted results.”
He said he had earlier made it clear that he would only accept the outcome of the primaries if the process was free, fair and transparent.
“I will not accept results from a process that does not reflect the values that the ADC had pledged to uphold,” he said.
Amaechi alleged that about 80 percent of party members across the country were prevented from voting during the exercise.
“There’s no way that about eighty percent of members of the party were not allowed to vote, and you expect me to accept such results,” he stated.
The former Governor of Rivers State accused the party of engaging in practices it had previously condemned in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to him, the ADC cannot criticize vote buying, rigging and manipulation of election results by others while allegedly engaging in similar acts during its own primary.
Amaechi added that the development was unacceptable and contrary to the ideals upon which the party was founded.
