The Ekiti State governor-elect, Mr Ayo
Fayose, on Thursday in Abuja, said that
the concession of incumbent governor
Kayode Fayemi to defeat was a
propaganda stunt aimed at eliciting
public sympathy.
Fayose told the News Agency of Nigeria
(NAN) that although Fayemi at the
weekend conceded publicly and
congratulated him, the governor had not
picked calls from him since then.
“The governor said I am conceding to
defeat. Let me be realistic with you,
there is a difference between
propaganda and reality.
“I have been calling the governor since
after our meeting but he hasn’t picked
the call.
“If you read all papers now, he said I will
create local governments before I go;
how do you reconcile these things?
“I am not a propagandist, I am a realist.
The governor says he will do
employment before he leaves that
means you want to create problem for
the incoming government.
“So I see that concession, as good as it
may be, we must all be realistic about it,
we must not deceive the Nigerian
populace.
“Their party said we are still studying
the ink used by INEC; it is the governor
that conceded not our party,” he said.
Fayose recalled that in 2003, his
predecessor, Mr Niyi Adebayo, also
conceded defeat but went ahead to
conduct a mass recruitment though he
had only six months remaining in his
tenure.
“I respect the governor; he is our
leader, up until the 15th of October, he
remains our leader but I want to appeal
to APC not to play propaganda with
sensitive issues like this.
“If the governor says I am not going, his
party too must make pronouncements
otherwise I do not mind them going to
court.
“The court will ask you: “it is usually the
incumbent that rigs, why would
somebody who is not an incumbent now
rig and defeat you in your ward”?
He said that none of the APC Senators
or House of Representative members,
including former governor, Mr Segun
Oni, won in their polling booths, not even
former Governor Segun Oni.
Fayose, however, commended the
incumbent governor for the bold step
taken in conceding defeat, though it was
meant to induce public sympathy.
He said though he would run an inclusive
government he would only work with
those who were willing to work with him.
“With due respect, I know APC more
than you, I will not shoot myself in the
leg before I start so I will rather let us
leave it as it is.
“It is our government but we will make
sure they have their say; minority will
have their say, majority will have their
way. We will make sure that there is an
environment for them to operate as
credible opposition to government.”
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