The lawmaker representing Ogun East senatorial district at the National Assembly, Senator Buruji Kashamu, has blamed the defeat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the just- concluded governorship election in Ekiti State on what he termed the arrogance of the state Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose.
Kashamu, who spoke with journalists at the weekend, described the party’s loss as “an evil foretold.”
He said, “I saw it coming. I was not the least surprised at the outcome. How would the PDP have won when the former interim Caretaker Chairman of the party, Senator Ahmed Makarfi allowed Governor Ayo Fayose to drive away other stakeholders in the party in Ekiti State and the whole of the South-west? After driving away all the bigwigs and stakeholders in Ekiti State, they could not but work against the party.
“Makarfi and others encouraged him to perpetrate all manner of illegalities, and the Prince Uche Secondus-led NWC inherited him and never really did anything to rein him in. They were sold the lies that he could do it all alone.”
According to the lawmaker, the election was a referendum on Fayose, not the PDP.
“The good people of Ekiti State wanted to do away with anything Fayose and that was what happened. That is why he lost even in his own local government. It is not that the people do not like PDP. They still like PDP but detest Fayose and his antics. He is cancerous to the PDP and since the leadership of the party could not deal with him, the good people of Ekiti State simply helped us to remove him.
“All the political tokenism of frying garri, jumping on okada and going to eat at bukas are not what would impact on the life of the average Ekiti man or woman. To what extent has he gone to make life better for the average Ekiti man or woman? Has he provided a conducive environment for them to realise their full potentials? The people saw through his deceit and rejected him,” the lawmaker said.
Kashamu called on the party’s leadership to move in and rescue the party in the South-west so as to shore up its fortune before the 2019 general election.
He said: “The earlier the leaders of the PDP restructure the lopsided structure in place in the South-west, the better it would be. The party has to be repositioned and restructured to accommodate all well-meaning leaders and stakeholders. There is no notable leader of the party in the South-west that Fayose has not insulted. He cannot mobilise yet he rubbishes those who can. Most of our leaders do not want to have anything to do with him. Should the party continue to rely on him, the PDP will continue to lose woefully.
“When Fayose and Makarfi started, we challenged their illegalities but they refused to obey the courts and follow the Rule of Law. We could not resort to self-help, so we left them, knowing full well that the day of reckoning would come. It has come and we have all seen it.”
He added, “Unless and until the PDP starts to field contented Nigerians who have distinguished themselves in their businesses or careers, the government of the day will continue to beam their searchlight on the mediocre that enriched themselves through public office. Given his unimpeachable integrity as an individual, President Muhammadu Buhari would continue to ride high on the horse of morality and become more politically advantageous over them.”
While congratulating Ekiti State governor-elect, Dr Kayode Fayemi, Kashamu said, “I hope that he would restore the values of Ekiti State that have been bastardised by Fayose. The people have invested their trust in him and he should not let them down. Politics and governance should be about the people and not parties.”
