Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose has said that he is supporting Senator Alimodu Sheriff’s candidature for the PDP chairmanship against the Southwest because none of the leaders from the region was unwilling to lead the party.
The PDP governor who was a guest lecturer at the annual world press day organized by the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) Oyo State Ibadan on Tuesday said, the chairmanship of Sherrif will yield positive development for the party especially in preparation for the next election expressing optimism that PDP will win.
“I initiated the south west chairmanship idea but when I realize that none of them was willing at the initial stage I shifted ground, I personally went to Chief Bode Olajumoke, I know he was one of the credible leaders in the party from the southwest and I told him my mission; I even went as far as convincing Dr Mimiko to support him but I noticed that everybody want the food to be cooked, so we cannot force an unwilling driver on the steering.
“When Bode George came to me, I told him that I cannot support him because the party does not need a face that will be recycled if we want to progress, I am a straight forward person and I am a strong advocate of the fact that none of the National working committee members of the party should be returned as executives”, he stressed.
He said further that, anybody who wanted to be the party chairman apart from being worthy in character must be able to move and restore sanity into the system which Alimodu has started.
His words: “Sen Alimodu Sherrif has started moving and making reconciliations as acting chairman, and I am sure this will continue when he becomes the substantive chairman of the party, do not forget he was part of the APC amalgamation and when he realized that they are not sincere about the change and promised for Nigerians he left and joined the PDP which is the best alternative”.
Governor Fayose while explaining why the PDP lost in 2015 election said Nigerians didn’t hate the party but some personalities in the party who are not doing things in the right way and we are doing the cleansing now PDP is the party to watch out for in 2019.
He also expressed dissatisfaction over the incessant killing of people by herdsmen across the nation, saying: “I commend President Buhari on his effort so far on Boko Harram but whatever level of success he has achieved on that has been consumed by this Fulani herdsmen killing people every time. He should find a solution on time. What finished Former President Jonathan’s administration was insecurity and if you check the rate of people that have been killed in the past one year, you will realize that it is alarming”.
The governor who lamented the economic crisis in the country said governors should not be allowed to borrow money that cannot be paid in their tenure. His words: “most governors have plunged their state into debt which has mortgaged the future of their states. In Ekiti State, I left N10B when I was leaving office and when I came back, I met a huge amount of debt which payment will terminate in year 2036”.
While speaking on the topic; Journalism and Politics; two side of coins; the governor tasked journalists not mortgage their future and sell their credibility for pecuniary gains.
