I worked against Atiku during presidential election – Fayose

• 2023 General elections
• Fayose and Atiku in PDP crisis
• Ayo Fayose in anti-party activity

Former Ekiti State governor Ayo Fayose has stated that he has no regrets fighting ‘one hundred percent’ against Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar in the run-up to the February 25 election.

In defending his actions, Fayose indicated that he was not concerned about being expelled from the party for anti-party activity.

Even after President Bola Tinubu’s election, he pledged not to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress.

The lawmaker made the announcement on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ on Sunday night.

“I am still a member of the PDP except the PDP says ‘Fayose, we don’t want you anymore.’ Then they have set me free of the yoke. But in all sincerity, it is a party that I believe in, subscribe to, and want to stay forever. I will never join the APC,” he said.

Continuing, the two-term governor noted that he has never hidden his admiration for the President who has more than proven in time past that he is the new leader of the Yoruba race.

Fayose also admitted to placing birthday adverts in major newspapers consistently for many years during his reign as Ekiti governor.

He said, “I have never hidden in my position on Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. Let me remind you very quickly. I never knew Asiwaju will be president of Nigeria and there was no time in 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 that I have not celebrated his birthday on the pages of newspapers as the then-governor of Ekiti state. One of the messages I passed across at that time was that party politics notwithstanding, he will remain our leader in the West for long.

“Even when the APC was playing games, I stood up to remind President Buhari that Asiwaju was largely instrumental in his becoming president of Nigeria. As a Yoruba man, he deserves to be accorded his respect. I want to remind you again that in 2021, I said all the shenanigans against him by those behind him will be defeated.

“I never knew he will be president of Nigeria. When he got back from the knee surgery treatment that he went for, I openly, during the day, went all the way to Bourdillon to welcome him back. I counted the costs before I took those actions. If Tinubu is not an example to identify with, somebody like me would not identify with him.

“Let me also tell you that till today, I have not materially or by position benefited from Asiwaju. I was the first Nigerian despite being a member of the PDP to say that it is the turn of the South and I have no regrets making that statement.”

According to him, Nigerian politicians must learn to remain upright leaders beyond party politics.

This was even as the former governor claimed he won’t feel bad if he is expelled from the opposition party, saying his sacrifice for Nigeria’s unity will be appreciated someday.

“I am 63 years of age. I won’t jump from one bed to another. I would rather leave politics if it will get to that stage. When Buhari became president in 2015, the majority of our party leaders including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar left the PDP and went to support Buhari. Otherwise, the PDP would have still been in power. So don’t let us go there. Now that election has come and gone and we are in governance. Do we now say that Asiwaju is the president of APC? The answer is no. If I can go to Bourdillon to see him during the day without hiding, going to see him at the Villa is what?

“Don’t get it wrong. I worked against him (Atiku) 100 per cent. Nigeria is bigger than the PDP, APC and even Asiwaju himself. Let us call a spade a spade. I am not a man that will hide my action. If PDP doesn’t need me again, they cannot say I cannot live. But I love the PDP even though the party has not been fair to me. I am a principled man. So let me say to you, chill. I never worked for PDP during the last election. I am not a liar or a pretender. I did not work for PDP,” he stated.