Governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose, on Friday declared that the Nigerian populace was yet to find an alternative to the main opposition party ahead of the 2019 Presidential poll.
He also slammed the standard bearer of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Kayode Fayemi alleging that he never won the 2010 gubernatorial poll but that it was handed to him by the then Justice Ayo Salami on a platter of gold through legal technicalities.
This was just as the National Chairman of PDP, Uche Secondus, Governors of Abia, Ikpeazu Okezie, Rivers, Nyesom Wike, Akwa Ibom, Emmanuel Udom, Gombe, Hassan Damkwambo and traditional rulers in Ekiti lauded governor Fayose for his sound performance in erecting giant infrastructural projects in the state.
The governor also denied borrowing money during his three and half years reign in office and debunked allegation by opposition APC that he allegedly borrowed a certain 56 billion Naira.
The governor spoke in Ado Ekiti during the commissioning of the new Governor’s office, an event also attended by former President Dr Goodluck Jonathan.
The Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Nyesom Wike did the official commissioning supported by his counterpart in Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Emmanuel Udom.
Fayose said: “Nigerians have not found an alternative to PDP and l am sure that they are now regretting.
“I have not committed this state to any bank by one Naira with these many projects that I have done and that I am doing.
” I tell you expressly, 70% percent of the infrastructure in Ekiti have been built by me. Fayemi never won any elections in Ekiti. It was Salami who gave him the mandate.”
Pouring encomiums on Fayose, Secondus, said: “When Fayose came in 2014, he turned Ekiti around for good. Not only him, our PDP governors have always been commissioning projects. We are proud of all of you. You are all united and marching forward to reclaim our mandate in 2019, as you have continued to show that you can deliver.
“I believe Nigerians have seen the difference between promise keepers and those who fail to deliver their promises. They promised dollar would reduce to one Naira but today it has gone so high. They promised that petrol would be less than N50 but today it is almost N200.
Nigeria has become a killing field by herdsmen on daily basis.
Governor of Rivers, Wike, who lambasted the APC Federal Government for performing poorly said: ” I don’t associate with those who don’t know what development is all about. Anyone I associate with shows that there is something positive about him. Ayodele Fayose has shown that politics is all about development. Even though they try to distract him and victimize him and refuse to give him his due, he will triumph.”
Taking a critical swipe at Fayemi, he said: “I learnt somebody said he would win Ekiti because of the performance of the President. He should have said that he would win because of what he has been able to do for Ekiti.’
“Anywhere you see PDP all you see is development and programmes to better a lot of our people. Fayose has been able to do this because he believes in the agenda of PDP which is developed for the nation.
“We will not commission wheelbarrows, no PDP state would go and hire tractors. The kind of laudable projects PDP governors would be commissioning are the concrete ones like this new Governor’s office.
“It is clear that this humble and obedient deputy governor, Prof. Olusola Kolapo, will continue to do the great works of governor Fayose.
“APC is not coming to contest the election, the only thing they want to do is to rig election. Let us protect our votes. Don’t give them any chance to rig the elections. Stay till the votes are counted and results declared.
“What will the committee of 77 do in Ekiti?
I urge the Federal Government to allow the Jonathan standard to prevail during the election. He never rigged the election and he conceded defeat even though he knew there were lapses.”
Wike described former President Goodluck Jonathan as an example of a Democrat.
He said: “The former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria knows what democracy is all about, one who never uses his power to imprison opposition leaders and respected the rule of law. One who says no one should shed because of him which is not the case today in Nigeria.”
