The Governor of Ekiti, Ayodele Fayose was in Osogbo, the Osun state capital today to pay a courtesy visit on his counterpart, Governor Rauf Aregbesola where they the two exchanged some bitter words.
Governor Fayose made it clear that whatever happened, he would remain a strong member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on which platform he rode to power, but governor Aregbesola, an All Progressives Congress (APC) top shop, told his guest that PDP is a dead horse.
Fayose to Aregbesola: “I am in Osun not for any political reason: I am not ready to abandon the PDP for the All Progressives Congress (APC).”
Aregbesola to Fayose: “the reality today is that PDP has served its term in Nigeria. When a horse is dead, it is either you abandon it or you bury it. I want my good friend and brother to know that PDP has exhausted its stay in Nigeria. It can no longer be revived, let us look at a political party that will give hope to our people.”
Aregbesola said that while he is not asking governor Fayose to abandon the opposition PDP against his wish, he would only advise him to join hands with a political party that will give hope to the people of Nigeria.
He also charged the Ekiti State governor to direct his energy towards bringing human and physical development to western region and Nigeria as a whole.
Aregbesola described the visit of Governor Fayose to Osun as demonstration of maturity, saying that it takes a very matured human being to know that at the end of every public office, he will be left with humanity.
Aregbesola told his Ekiti counterpart not to play opposition politics for the purpose of destruction or abuse of leaders, even as he acknowledged Fayose’s stand on the unity of Yoruba land.
“The war is over; we are in a season of mobilizing our people to agriculture and produce such that we will economically have the strength to give leadership to the nation and Africa. Our energy must be directed at bringing human and physical development. We have enough in this region to give leadershship.”
Governor Aregbesola assured Fayose that he will stand by him in his effort to galvanize the people of South-west for accelerated development.
The Governor who lamented the present economic situation of the country noted that there is an invasion on the economy of Nigeria to the extent that the country is losing 75 percent of her income due to oil glut.
“The country is facing a very serious crises with the rate at which the crude oil price is falling. There is an invasion on the economy to the level that we are losing 75 percent of our income which is not good.
“At this point, wise people must have an alternative to oil which part of it is your visit. We must use our culture and affinities to form a bond that can make our people live a normal life, it is a duty that we owe our people, States and Nigeria as a whole.”
Speaking when he arrived at the government House in Osogbo, Governor Fayose said that against all speculations that he was coming to Osogbo to ask Aregbesola to help him beg President Muhammadu Buhari, he was in Osun to pursue the unity of Yoruba race.
He said that the Yoruba race is greater than any political office and that he believed in the development of the race.
The governor said that the visit by the Ooni of Ife to the 45th coronation of the Alaafin of Oyo, signaled to every Yoruba son and daughter that he pr she should regard the unity and progress of the race as uppermost.
“This is my first official visit to any APC state in Nigeria. I am not in Osogbo to ask Aregbesola to help me beg as being speculated in some quarters. We are all Yoruba, politics is like water, it can flow anywhere.
“I believe in the Yoruba race, the race comes first before the office of the governor. The race is eternal while that of governor is momentary. We must watch today to be guided by tomorrow. I am here for the unity of Yoruba as it affects the Oodua, the progenitor.” [myad]
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