Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose has said that the 2019
presidential election will not be a contest between the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) and President Muhammadu Buhari, but “a straight
fight between the president and Nigerians who are tired of his
misrule.”
In a statement on Monday, by his Special Assistant on Public
Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, the governor said
President Buhari will have Nigerians to contend with in 2019 and not
the PDP or other opposition parties alone.
Governor Fayose said the tripod on which the Buhari administration was
erected had collapsed like a pack of cards, adding that “The
international community has said corruption under Buhari is worse that
in times past. Nigerians themselves know that murderous herdsmen have
joined Boko Haram under Buhari and the economy, which was booming
under Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, went into recession under Buhari and has
remained comatose.
“For Nigerians, the 2019 election is not about political parties,
particularly as it affects Buhari’s presidency.
“The election will be Nigerians versus Buhari and not PDP versus
Buhari or PDP versus APC, especially knowing how negatively Buhari has
impacted the lives of Nigerians.”
Fayose said with millions of Nigerians thrown out of jobs and an
uncountable number of companies folding up on a daily basis, Nigerians
in their teeming numbers were waiting for the 2019 election to vent
their anger and frustration on what he described as the president’s
disruptive and destructive policies.
“Buhari has damaged Nigeria. He has damaged the lives of an
uncountable number of Nigerians. The suffering and untold hardship he
has brought on Nigeria and Nigerians is unprecedented.
“Most importantly, he has destroyed the trust of Nigerians in the
ballot box and the people can’t wait to send him packing so that they
can get their country back.
“In 2019, the same shocker of 2015 will be witnessed and it will be a
ruder shock for those who believed in their mastery of election
rigging to remain in power.”
On credibility of elections in the country, Governor Fayose said;
“Look at how they subverted the will of the people in Edo, Ondo,
Ekiti and the recent Osun governorship elections. The fact they had
to rig those elections is a clear testimony that Nigerians have
rejected Buhari and his party.
“They resorted again and again into relying on the security agencies
to coerce and intimidate voters. In all the aforementioned elections
and other bye-elections across the country, they stole the votes and
compromised the electoral process.
“The European Union, Britain, United States and other election
monitoring groups, be it local or international, said as much about
the last Osun election.”
He called on Nigerians to stand up to INEC and insist on credible
elections in 2019, noting that “a determined nation must free itself
from a dictator who rules by nepotism and oppression.”
