Fayose Making ‘Malicious’ Claims To Rubbish Transparent Congress – Makinde

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has said former Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose is making unfounded allegations against him and concocting false claims to rubbish the South-West Congress of the Peoples Democratic Party held in Osogbo on Monday.

The governor said this on Thursday in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Taiwo Adisa.

Makinde and Fayose supported different candidates for various offices at the congress and had engaged in a bit of rivalry in the buildup to the exercise,

But shortly before the contest started, Fayose doused the tension by announcing that he would accept the outcome of the election while declaring publicly that Makinde was his leader.

While Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja, who Makinde supported, eventually won with 343 votes, Dr Eddy Olafeso, who was supported by Fayose got 330 votes. Fayose and Olafeso had accepted the result that night and promised to work with the winners to reposition the party.

But while speaking on a Channnels Television programme on Wednesday, Fayose said the congress was a scam and accused Makinde of bringing hoodlums to the venue of the election.

However the CPS said there was an ungodly pattern in the attempt of his critics to rubbish the exercise.

The statement read, “One is, therefore, surprised that less than 48 hours after that acceptance and the commitment to work with Governor Makinde to build the party, the former governor is masterminding an assault against Governor Makinde over the peaceful congress in which the latter made it clear that there would be ‘no victor, no vanquished.

“One can see the ungodly pattern Makinde’s critics are following by trying to build a false narrative around the congress with a view to rubbishing it.

“It should, therefore, come as a surprise to the public that the same camp that claimed that it had conceded defeat and was ready to work with Arapaja, is now engaging in media warfare against the governor.

“In the morning of Wednesday, Mr. Eddy Olafeso was on national TV to lay the foundation for what would be a sustained effort to tarnish the image of the governor. By evening, the cycle was completed by Mr. Fayose, who also appeared on the same medium.

“This has proven that false alarm and deliberate falsehood are being deployed to rubbish an otherwise peaceful congress.

“While we would not like to join issues with Mr. Fayose and those who contested against Ambassador Arapaja, over the outcome of the congress, we would like to caution that no one should attempt to impugn the personality of Governor Makinde, a peace-loving individual, who has never got anything by violence. The peaceful conduct of his campaign while running for office as governor of Oyo State is an attestation to this fact.

“Therefore, going on air to say that Governor Makinde is “quiet but deadly” is not only unstatesmanlike, it is also unguarded, malicious and wicked.

“We make bold to say that while those who lost the election at the congress are allowed to rue their loss despite the assurance by Governor Makinde that there will be no winner or loser, it is expedient that they guard their utterances and avoid any descent into the gutter.”