FORMER governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has said that Nigerians were the ones who deserved to be praised for the courage they exhibited during the February 23rd presidential and National Assembly elections.

Fayose said this in a statement on Wednesday, issued by his media aide, Lere Olayinka.

He said, “Rather than a word of congratulation to President Buhari, who will be leading our country against our wish as a nation, Nigerians are the ones who deserve to be praised for their courage.”

He described the roles played by the Independent National Electoral Commission and security agencies in the election as ‘shameful,’ saying, “Their inordinate and inglorious desire to deprive Nigerians of a credible leadership was made manifest from the start.”

“At the barrel of the gun, today, Nigerians are cowed and captured evidently by the non-celebration of this Pyrrhic victory by anyone in Nigeria except those who hoped to benefit directly from it, which is characteristics of a thief that came in the night to deprive residents of their belongings, leaving them in anguish and nightmare.

“This election will remain in the annals of our history as a nation as a bare-faced rape on democracy.

“Rather than celebrating today, Nigerians, especially those whose loved ones were brutally murdered for a cabal to sustain their hold on the country, are moody and sad. However, in their quiet moment, they are consoled with the fact that no one can attain everlasting joy by subjecting others to perpetual sorrow.

“Definitely, the blood of those innocent Nigerians that were murdered just to actualise this inordinate ambition will speak justice on the heads of the perpetrators and beneficiaries of the killings and also speak better things for our tomorrow, having paid the supreme prize.”

The former governor added, “As already known, I am not afraid of arrest and detention. I have been persecuted and still being persecuted because of my stand on national issues and I will remain undaunted.

“Let me, therefore, commend Nigerians and tell them that they should not lose hope because help will come someday.

“As for the President, no victory songs for him, he should rather begin a soul-searching, constantly asking himself why he opted to drag Nigeria and its democracy back to the FEDECO years of 1979 and 1983 in which votes were merely allocated to candidates.” – Punch

– Feb. 27, 2019 @ 17:19 GMT |