Buhari Is A Vindictive Leader, Jonathan Remains Magnanimous- Fayose

In an interview with online newspaper, Premium Times, in Ado-Ekiti over the week­end, Fayose who said Buhari had not withdrawn from dictatorial tendencies, warned that any attempt by his (Buhari’s) administration to confront him and attack his government will bring Bu­hari’s government down.

According to him, the immediate past president, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, was a magnanimous leader as he will­ingly relinquished power be­cause of the overall interest of the country.

While maintaining that he is the longest-serving governor in the country, Fayose said he remains a force to reckon with and any­one who ignores him will be doings so at his peril.

The governor declared that any plots to impeach him as governor would not work because his experiences had made him understand the dynamics of governance bet­ter than during his first term.

He said: “I told Nigerians that they should not vote for Buhari and that Buhari will not do well. My name is Ayo Fayose. He will not do well. That is why I told you Buhari is a dictator; he can never lead a people or a government without being dictatorial. In Nigerian politics I only say the truth.

“I am not afraid of him. The power of Buhari is not more than you go and lock some­body up. I am not afraid of him. I am not in the calibre of politicians who are say­ing, ‘ah don’t let me die oh! Don’t let my mother die oh! I am not in that category. Most noble men today have gone underground for fear of the unknown.

“The same thing we were telling Obasanjo that time. We said Obasanjo was a dic­tator. Obasanjo consumed most of them who were pro­moting him that time. I have never minced words, before the campaign.

“I am not a sycophant to say that it was after Buhari became president that I start­ed praising or talking against him. I started from day one.

“I was 24 years old when Buhari was head of state of Nigeria. We were daily beaten in Ibadan when we queued up for essential commodities.

“I remember how he stopped import duties and did a lot of things damaging to the economy, the same way he is still doing it today. I have said it clearly that any attempt to confront me and attack my government will bring Bu­hari’s government down.

“My name is Ayo Fayose, I mean every word I am saying. I am salt. He should be mind­ful of me. I am not a coward. Call me controversial if you like. Men that will make his­tory will be very controver­sial. Courageous people will be controversial.

“I am not impressed. I am not impressed. Buhari adminis­tration has shown the hallmark of a very vindictive leader. Part of the hallmark of a good leader is to be able to rally everybody in times like this.

“Look back. Jonathan was magnanimous. He could have said I am a sitting president and cause the country headache, but he did not do that. He will­ingly relinquished power be­cause of the overall interest of the country.

“Instead, Buhari is coming to vilify everybody. You begin to do factional pursuance of the fight against corruption. It doesn’t work like that.

“Go and look at Buhari’s antecedent. I stand to be cor­rected. We know that the rate at which Buhari is going, he is going to destroy this country. There is no hiding place for dictators”