PDP Governors Brand Fayose ‘Political Liability,’ Warn Presidency Against Association

 

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum has launched a scathing attack on former Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, describing him as a “political liability” whose recent utterances are damaging to Nigeria’s democratic space.

The Forum, in a statement issued Wednesday night by its Director-General, Dr Emmanuel Agbo, faulted Fayose over his comments on the recent meeting between President Bola Tinubu and Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, accusing him of peddling misinformation and political mischief.

According to the governors, Fayose’s claims that Governor Makinde failed to regain the President’s confidence during the closed-door meeting were not only misleading but also capable of portraying the President as desperate and solely driven by political calculations.

“Although Governor Makinde has clearly explained the purpose of his interaction with Mr President, it has become necessary to respond to Fayose’s latest gaffe in order to draw attention to his degenerative public conduct and the negative impact it continues to have on the image of Nigerian politics,” the statement read.

The Forum argued that Fayose’s comments falsely suggested that the President’s engagement with state governors was purely for political horse-trading, to the exclusion of governance and national development.

“Such insinuations create the impression of a leadership obsessed with power retention rather than the pressing challenges facing the country. In this regard, Fayose is proving to be more of a liability than an asset to the nation’s body politic,” the Forum added.

The PDP governors further alleged that Fayose had, in recent times, assumed the role of an “attack dog” for the Presidency and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, in a bid to remain politically relevant.

“As a former governor and once Chairman of this Forum, we regret the steady decline in his conduct and call on his associates to seek professional help for him, as his utterances increasingly reflect abnormal behaviour,” the statement said.

The Forum also warned the Presidency to distance itself from individuals like Fayose, stressing that their desperation for relevance could tarnish the image of the current administration.

“Nigeria’s democracy stands to suffer from actors who thrive on partisan hatred and political crises. We therefore advise the Presidency to dissociate itself from unsolicited political hounds in the interest of sanity and decency,” the Forum stated.

It will be recalled that Fayose had alleged that during Governor Makinde’s visit to the Presidential Villa on January 22, President Tinubu gave the Oyo State governor a cold reception and restricted discussions strictly to governance issues, distancing himself from political alliances ahead of the 2027 elections.

Fayose also linked Makinde’s subsequent criticism of the President, including describing him as a “dictator,” to frustration arising from what he termed a failed reconciliation effort.