ABUJA — Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has commended President Bola Tinubu for what he described as his “magnanimity” during the August 15 governorship election in Osun State, saying the President could have influenced the outcome if he had chosen to do so.
Fayose, however, alleged that the Federal Government used its influence to work against him during the 2018 Ekiti governorship election, claiming that security personnel were deployed to restrict his movement and weaken his campaign shortly before the poll.
The former governor made the remarks on Tuesday while speaking on TVC News, against the backdrop of comments by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, that he could have helped the All Progressives Congress (APC) win the Osun election if President Tinubu wanted victory “at all costs.”
The Osun election was won by the incumbent governor and Accord candidate, Ademola Adeleke, who polled 511,067 votes to defeat APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, who scored 444,815 votes. African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Najeem Salaam, came third with 17,180 votes.
Adeleke won in 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji won 11.
Fayose said the closeness of the contest showed that the election could have gone either way, but praised Adeleke and urged him to be “magnanimous in victory.”
He said the outcome also demonstrated that the Federal Government had not deployed the kind of influence he claimed was used against him in 2018.
“The only thing I heard towards the election was the Federal Government will take it by force. The Federal Government has come to do this. I want to say to you, if the Federal Government wants to take an election, they will take it.
“If the Federal Government, the ones I know of the past, if they want to take an election, there’s nothing you can do,” Fayose said.
‘Ekiti was taken from me in 2018’
Comparing the Osun election with the 2018 Ekiti poll, Fayose alleged that the circumstances were completely different.
“Let me give you an instance. Ekiti was taken from me in 2018. By all means possible. Those features did not play out in Ede,” he said.
According to him, the Government House in Ado Ekiti was surrounded by security personnel three days before the election, while his security details were withdrawn.
“Three days before my election, the Government House was jammed. It was jammed. You can’t talk to anyone on the phone.
“All my security details from whatever name you call it, I was left with an order. All of them were taken to police headquarters in Ado Ekiti and I was left on the field for three days. That is when you are talking a federal mind,” he alleged.
Fayose further alleged that he was prevented from leaving the Government House to participate in a campaign march and was assaulted when he resisted the restriction.
“Beyond that, three days to the election, I wanted to do a match with over 60,000 followers. I was stopped. I was stopped by the security personnel.
“And I told them I am the governor of this state. An inspector told me, ‘Governor my foot.’ And they prevented me from coming out of the Government House.
“And I said I was going to come out at all costs. And to that day, they hit me with the butt of the gun and I went down. My deputy at the time had the same experience,” he alleged.
Fayose said the incident resulted in injuries that required medical treatment.
“That was why I had the collar on my neck at the time. I wish I had that image for Nigerians to see. I had four surgeries, four procedures because of that incident alone,” he said.
‘Tinubu is allowing democracy to survive’
Despite his allegations concerning the 2018 election, Fayose praised Tinubu for what he described as a more democratic approach to elections, saying the Osun poll showed that the President was willing to allow voters to determine the outcome.
“If not for Tinubu, who has been very magnanimous in his actions, what would be the way to talk to him on social media? Have you seen him going after anybody to arrest them?
“Let me tell you, we have to thank God for this kind of president. He is showing us that it is possible to have an election of our dream in this country,” he said.
Fayose said the President’s appointment of the leadership of key institutions, including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Nigeria Police Force and the military, did not automatically mean the institutions would be used to manipulate elections.
“Tinubu today has appointed the INEC chairman. Tinubu today has appointed the Inspector-General of Police. Tinubu today has appointed the Army Chief.
“People tell me that that combination will not take an election if they want to take it. It is the body language of a president they look at. And his body language is telling everyone that let this democracy survive,” he said.
‘My support for Tinubu is not about defection’
Fayose also dismissed speculation that his support for Tinubu, coupled with his recent appointment as chairman of the Rural Electrification Agency board, was a prelude to his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party to the APC.
He said his relationship with Tinubu predated the President’s current position and that his support for the administration was driven by a desire to contribute to national development.
“I have always supported the President while I was in office, about 15 years ago. And with all respect to the President, I was in the office of the Governor when he was in the office of the Governor in 2003. We’ve always related. Yes, we’re in different parties,” he said.
Describing his appointment as an opportunity to serve, Fayose pledged to contribute his best to the agency.
“It’s a call to serve for those who truly want to serve. It’s a call to serve. So for me, I am going to give my best.
“I will do everything possible to ensure that I make a mark,” he said.
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