- Says Makinde is the leader in the Southwest by reasons of his office, but when we are at home, we are his father
- Clears the air on Southwest PDP crisis, discloses how Gov. Seyi Makinde reneged on agreement to return Olafeso, others.
Speaking on Channels Television programme ‘Sunday Politics’, monitored by Starnews Nigeria over the crisis rocking the South West of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), former governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Ayodele Fayose, has said that governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State can not claim to be his leader despite being the leader in the South-West by reasons of his office.
Starnews Nigeria reports that Fayose said governor Makinde will probably be 32 years when he became the governor of Ekiti Sate at 42 years old in the days of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
According to Fayose, it is the norm for a serving governor in the PDP to lead his state or the southwest but that doesn’t mean he has no political seniors especially those who were ahead of him before he became governor.
Fayose emphasised that Makinde cannot claim to be his leader just like Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu cannot claim to be the leader of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in Lagos or Governor Nyesom Wike claiming to be the leader of former Rivers state governor, Peter Odili.
He said:
“I am not into any leadership struggle with Governor Makinde but the fact is, Governor Makinde cannot come out and say he is my leader. He is not. The fact is that if my son is coming and he is a governor, I have to get up because it is the norm”.
“The gentleman is a governor and I must respect his office. Governor Makinde by all standards is the only PDP governor in the West . But all South-South PDP governor, who is their leader? Because he is the only one we have I used to be like that but I never said to anyone, I am the leader of the west. But if he wants to be addressed like that, it is okay”.
“Is Governor Sanwo-Olu the leader of Asiwaju in Lagos? Is Ambode the leader of Tinubu in Lagos? Or Governor Wike is the leader of Odili? That language we have to choose it. Governor Makinde will probably be 32 years when I was governor in 2003”.
“He is the leader in the South-West by reasons of his office. When we go out, we will say Your Excellency but when we are at home, we are his father”
Speaking on his differences with Makinde, Fayose clears the air on the issue. He says: “Before governor Makinde came, there was a structure in the PDP and that structure had Eddy Olafeso as the National Vice Chairman and Bunmi Jenyo as the Secretary. To be honest with you, when we say southwest states, everybody donates their people. Something is zoned to your state and you bring your representatives and we call it southwest executives.”
We met with governor Makinde, Eddy Olafeso was there, I was there, former governor Oyinlola was there, Adebutu was there, and Senator Adeleke was there, and we sat and gave him the right as the governor and we say what’s your view as these people say they want to continue, more so, by the reason of Sheriff and Markafi crisis, they have only spent two years in office, and he (Seyi Makinde) agreed to it.
What I am saying before the camera is the truth and nothing but the truth. Governor Makinde said he believes in the performance and efficiency of Eddy Olafeso led executives and asked them to go ahead.
“I am saying it in my honour and my name, and to the glory of God, I will not come here to say anything to the contrary, we agreed and we left the place. He, (governor Makinde) went to obtain forms for them. Suddenly he changed but may I say to you sir, there was a structure before governor Makinde came, and being a governor does not say you want to eradicate that structure. You can’t, we won’t let you. We won’t let him,” the outspoken Fayose said.
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