The immediate past Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has reaffirmed the allegation of the National Leader of the all Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu, that President Goodluck Jonathan was after him because he refused the offer to be his Vice President under a proposed Interim National Conference.
The presidency and the ruling party, the Proples Democratic Party (PDP), dismissed the allegation as ridiculous, saying that it was a fabricated lie by a man who has inflated sense of his importance.
They asked how possible it will be for the President to offer Vice President ticket to someone who is also from the South in geo-politically sensitive country like Nigeria.
But Fayemi said that APC possesses the evidence that shows that the president made such proposal to Tinubu
The former governor also confirmed the alarm raised by a national leader of the party and a former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, that his life was being threatened.
Fayemi said the attempts on Tinubu’s life confirmed the desperation of the Peoples Democratic Party and Jonathan-led government to remain in power at all cost. Speaking at Aramoko Ekiti during the 40 days Fidau for the late Pa Jejelola Akingbolu and Raliat Akingbolu, Fayemi said the President actually invited Tinubu to be part of an ING arrangement for the country.
Tinubu had last week alleged Jonathan invited him to be the vice president of the proposed ING in case elections did not hold as rescheduled. Tinubu also claimed that his life was being threatened by the Federal Government over his support for the presidential candidate of the APC, Major General Muhammadu Buhari.
Fayemi said Jonathan cannot deny the fact that he invited Tinubu to be part of the planned ING. He said the APC leader made the allegation in good faith and was not directed at maligning the personality of the President.
Fayemi however vowed that the PDP-led Federal Government would be held responsible if anything happens to Tinubu or any member of the party. He said the desperation being displayed by the ruling party was enough to conclude that the government could do anything to undermine Tinubu.
According to Fayemi, “President Jonathan is becoming desperate by the day and he would stop at nothing to return to government. “You know what they did in Ekiti. “So, there was nothing Tinubu said that was not verifiable. “I have evidence that he was invited to be part of interim government as a way of dividing us as a prominent member of our party.
“There is absolutely nothing they cannot do to distract us because they could see that Presidency is gradually slipping off their hands. “It was good that these alarms were being raised and put in the front burner that there is a sinister intention to subvert the will of the people.
“What Nigerians are looking for now is for the elections to be held on March 28 as re-scheduled by the Independent National Electoral Commission and for the victor, who will be overwhelmingly elected by the popular votes, to be announced. “We as party leaders and members of opposition are ready to congratulate the winner, but if they go ahead and subvert the will of the people, they will surely go to jail.”
Fayemi assured Nigerians that Buhari will keep to his promise not to dig into the financial corruption of the past, including the one being perpetrated under President Jonathan’s administration.
He said, “Major General Muhammadu Buhari said he won’t look into the past. “He said he will draw the line on the very day he takes over and I don’t know why President Jonathan, who has the paraphernalia of office, is afraid of election.
“There was nothing the PDP, even as a ruling party, has not done to ensure that these elections are not held. “We have heard about the sewing of fake Army uniform. “We have heard about how they want to use the Army to rig the election.
“We have seen attempt to sack Prof. Attahiru Jega (INEC chairman). “We have heard about how they have been preaching about religion, talking about the health of Gen. Buhari and the way they had been canvassing for postponement of elections and non-usage of card readers.
“The big question still remains: Why are they afraid of election?” Lambasting Governor Ayodele Fayose for allegedly lying against Buhari over his health status, Fayemi urged the governor to stop ridiculing and debasing the virtue of respect the state is known for.
He said: “We have heard somebody whose own definition of politics is about lying, saying General Buhari was taken to a hospital in London. “Buhari never went to hospital throughout the 10 days he was in London because I was with him throughout. “Fayose even used his mother as an example of how people who are old used to behave just because he wanted to drive home a point that General Buhari was sick.
“This is like disgracing his own mother in the public and it is against the value Ekiti is known for. “If Jonathan loses this election, he can still get whatever he wants. “It is a matter of negotiation with Buhari, who had promised not to probe the past governments.
“But I want to say that we will hold Jonathan’s government responsible if even the minutest thing happens to Tinubu”
