By Lanre Shadiya
I schooled in Ekiti for five years and I
had, and still have, very close relatives and friends in virtually
every town of the State and in diverse sectors of the State’s economy.
All of these people I still communicate with almost on a daily basis.
Virtually every one who follows
Nigeria’s politics would have known Governor Peter Ayodele Fayose by
now. He is the governor of Ekiti State in Southwest Nigeria. Fayose was
elected, again in 2014 having been impeached by the Ekiti State House of
Assembly in his first tenure as Ekiti State governor.
I am not, and will not be, a supporter
of Fayose. God knows his kinds are not the ones I wish to be associated
with, not even with the idiomatic long stick. I have heard the audio of
the Ekiti State election between Fayose, Obanikoro, Omisore etc. and
Gen. Momoh. Except one is intellectually jaundiced you will not argue
the intentions of the team which was to ensure Fayose’s victory in the
election. Having said that, I do not believe that Governor Fayemi did
win, or could have won the election. Fayose is a grassroots politician
that knows how to mobilize people and woo them (stomach infrastructure)
to his advantage. Undisputedly he has a huge crowd of followers in the
State. Fayemi is too sophisticated for that and cannot compete with
Fayose in that area. I said it before the election that Fayose will win
convincingly, and he did.
I have seen Fayose’s attacks on the
health of Gen Buhari in the last few weeks. Had I not seen them myself
but was told by someone else I would never have doubted it. I know these
are things that Fayose can do and truly didn’t come as a surprise. The
surprising parts is that none of the Party leaders have addressed the
situation.
I am not against Fayose supporting Dr.
Jonathan and expectedly against the candidature of General Buhari. Far
from it. What I am against, is an individual, who has absolutely no
control of his own life disseminating information and verdicts on the
limited span of another man’s life. Fayose is not God. He is not even a
god. Brandishing pictures of fallen Nigerian Presidents as a validation
of Buhari’s death if voted into office is the highest acclamation of
God’s position by any man. God gives life and takes it WHEN He deems it
fit. There are lines that should not be crossed no matter the temptation
or intensity of desires.
On Buhari’s trip to the UK, it has been
confirmed that the General Buhari will be speaking at one of the
sessions on Thursday February 26, 2015. Does this remove the fact that
the General could go for medical treatment before or after the session?
Absolutely not! General Buhari, like any other Nigerian or any citizen
of the world, is absolutely free to seek medical treatment where he deem
fit and safe. I do not have any information on whether the General will
go for treatment or not. I tried but I couldn’t. However, I still do
not see how this will eradicate the answer to the mass unemployment in
the country. How will this reduce the corruption that has enveloped
Nigeria? How will General Buhari’s medical treatment or not save the
lives of fellow Nigerians that are now referred to as IDP? What I would
have expected a governor to do is to keep mobilizing his people on the
achievements or potential opportunities of voting his preferred
candidate.
The Nigerian people have the right to vote for ANY NIGERIAN OF THEIR CHOICE
as long as he/she fulfils the requirements of the constitution. If
Fayose is scared of what a Buhari government will mean in terms of
perceived intolerance to corruption, embezzlement of public fund and
other criminal activities, I will suggest he address this in the court
of law whenever he feels persecuted.
Linking illness, sickness or death on
another man is totally immoral, inhumane and uncultured. Referring to
General Buhari as a dying man belittles the office of the Governor that
Ayo Fayose currently occupies. People in that office are expected to
possess immeasurable decorum. If Nigerians are now clamoring for General
Buhari, Fayose and his cohorts should begin to realize the uselessness,
cluelessness and abject non-performance of the current government for
Nigerians to now prefer a “dying man” to be in Aso Rock.
Lanre Shadiya
Follow me on @lanreshadiya
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