Fidelia Soriwei, Abuja
Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has praised President Bola Tinubu over the conduct of the August 15 Osun State governorship election, while arguing that Peter Obi weakened his chances in the 2027 presidential race by leaving the African Democratic Congress.
Fayose said the Osun election could have been influenced by the Federal Government if there had been an intention to force a particular outcome, contrasting the exercise with what he alleged happened during the 2018 Ekiti governorship election.
“The only thing I heard towards the election was the federal government will take it by force. The federal government has come to do this. I want to say to you, if the federal government wants to take an election, they will take it,” Fayose said in an interview on TVC News.
The former governor alleged that he was restricted to the Government House and deprived of his security details shortly before the 2018 Ekiti election, which he said was eventually taken from him through federal influence.
“Let me give you an instance. Ekiti was taken from me in 2018. By all means possible. Those features did not play out in Ede,” he said.
Fayose, however, described Tinubu as “magnanimous” and said the President’s conduct demonstrated that it was possible for Nigerians’ votes to determine electoral outcomes.
“If not for Tinubu, who has been very magnanimous in his actions, what would be the way to talk to him on social media? Have you seen him going after anybody to arrest them? Let me tell you, we have to thank God for this kind of president.
“He is showing us that it is possible to have an election of our dream in this country.”
His comments came after the Osun election, won by Accord candidate Ademola Adeleke with 511,067 votes against APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji’s 444,815 votes. Adeleke won 19 local government areas, while Oyebamiji won 11.
Fayose also assessed the opposition’s prospects ahead of the 2027 presidential election, arguing that Obi damaged his chances by leaving the ADC for the Nigeria Democratic Congress.
“When they were all together in ADC, I would tell anybody that they will make an impact. The day Obi left ADC for NDC, that day Obi lost,” he said.
Although Fayose described Obi as “a fantastic Nigerian who has made his marks, who has shown that things can get better,” he maintained that the opposition’s failure to remain united had weakened its ability to challenge the All Progressives Congress.
“But when opposition, when they don’t come together, they will continue to lose,” he said, adding that the opposition had gone too far into the electoral process to reverse its decisions.
“It’s too late now,” he said. “INEC has accredited everybody. Even if you say you are not doing again, you’re on your own.”
On the 2027 presidential race, Fayose projected strong support for Tinubu in the South-West, estimating that the President could secure about four million votes in the region and win about 65 per cent based on previous voting patterns.
“In the West alone, Tinubu will get close to about four million votes,” Fayose said. “When you look at the pattern of the last election, Tinubu will win this election close to about 65 per cent.”
He also criticised claims that vote-buying during the Osun election was attributable to only one political party, alleging that supporters of the APC, PDP and Accord were involved.
“It’s mere desperation. Mere desperation,” he said. “The two sides clearly, going by what we saw on the television on Saturday, police arrested the two sides sharing money. So don’t come and tell me they are saints both ways.”
Fayose said electoral malpractice remained a systemic challenge requiring action from both politicians and voters. He also rejected suggestions that his support for Tinubu and his appointment as chairman of the Rural Electrification Agency board meant he was preparing to join the APC, saying his focus was on contributing to national development.
