Tinubu was ‘magnanimous’, Ekiti was taken from me in 2018 – Fayose

Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has described President Bola Tinubu as “magnanimous” in the conduct of the August 15 Osun State governorship election.

Fayose said the Federal Government could have influenced the outcome of the election if it had chosen to do so.

He made the remarks on Tuesday during an interview with TVC News while reacting to comments by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, that he could have helped Tinubu secure victory for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun if the President wanted to win “at all costs”. NigeriaNews Alerts

Fayose also alleged that the Federal Government deployed its influence against him during the 2018 Ekiti State governorship election to wrest control of the state from his administration.

The former governor’s comments come amid renewed debate over the role of federal influence and political actors in off-cycle elections.

In the election, incumbent Osun State Governor and Accord Party candidate, Ademola Adeleke, polled 511,067 votes to defeat APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji, who secured 444,815 votes. African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate Najeem Salaam finished third with 17,180 votes.

Adeleke won in 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji claimed victory in the remaining 11.

Commenting on the outcome, Fayose described the contest as closely fought, noting that either candidate could have emerged victorious. He also congratulated Adeleke and urged him to be gracious in victory.

He said, “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.”

Drawing comparisons with his experience during the 2018 Ekiti governorship election, Fayose argued that the circumstances in Osun were markedly 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.

“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.”

The former governor further alleged that security personnel prevented him from leaving the Government House ahead of the election and assaulted him when he insisted on doing so.

“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.

“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.” NigerianBusiness Directory

Despite his allegations about the 2018 election, Fayose praised Tinubu’s handling of the Osun poll, saying the President had demonstrated that credible elections were possible in Nigeria.

“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.”

Fayose also argued that although Tinubu appointed the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Inspector-General of Police and the Chief of Army Staff, those appointments 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.”

The former governor also dismissed speculation that his support for Tinubu’s administration and his recent appointment as Chairman of the Rural Electrification Agency Board signalled plans to defect to the APC.

According to him, his backing for the President is driven by a desire to contribute to national development rather than partisan considerations.

“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.

“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.”