Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele
Fayose, has opened up on the personal cost of his long-standing feud with
former President Muhammadu Buhari, revealing that the clash has left him in a
seven-year legal battle and with severe injuries.
Speaking on Politics Today, a Channels TV programme
aired on Friday, Fayose disclosed that his opposition to Buhari during the
latter’s administration came with serious consequences, including physical
assault and a prolonged trial by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC).
“When I said I must fight Buhari throughout, I paid
dearly for it,” Fayose said. “I have been in court for the last seven years.
They hit me on my neck, and I had three surgeries.”
Fayose was arraigned in 2016 alongside former Minister
of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, and others over alleged money
laundering of N1.2 billion—funds said to have been part of N4.7 billion sourced
from the Office of the National Security Adviser.
Reflecting on the political climate, Fayose noted that
survival often drives decisions in Nigerian politics, saying, “In politics of
survival, you won’t blame those that are trying to survive. I won’t blame the
governors or anybody.”
He also weighed in on the internal crisis rocking the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), urging restraint in the face of tensions
surrounding Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
“When I was in the PDP, I stood my ground and handed
over to Wike as my younger brother. He was not as hot as I was then,” Fayose
said. “But when you see a troublemaker who is bigger than you are, you will
take it easy.”
He called for unity within the PDP, warning that the
party could not move forward amid internal strife. “All we need in PDP is peace
and nothing more. You can’t build a family with everybody around you mad and
self-seekers,” he said.
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