Tinubu Needs A Man Like Wike As Minister –Fayose

By Daniel Dafe

Former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has said that he is in support of former Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike becoming a minister in President Tinubu’s cabinet.

Fayose who said it is important that the president compensates those that worked for him who are not in the All Progressives Congress, APC, said: “Wike can be minister.”

“He is an asset to Nigeria. He is bold and courageous. Asiwaju needs a man like Wike. If given the opportunity, Wike should be Minister. in this new administration,” he said.

On if his recent visit to the president was to curry favour to get a ministerial position, he said: “I don’t want any appointment. I don’t want to be minister. All of us above 60 that have tested power should go and rest. The President should appoint well educated and young professional.”

In his words, Tinubu should apportion 40 percent of his cabinet members to people above 60 years of age and 70 years of age, 30 percent to women and 30 per cent to young people.

The former governor who met the President at Aso Villa in Abuja, on Thursday, July 6, 2023, further stated that his recent visit to the President was not connected to his court case with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

“Tinubu has no power to stop EFCC trial,” he said of the case which has last five years.

Meanwhile, he disclosed that he worked against his party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in the February 25, 2023 election.

Fayose, who is a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), revealed that he worked against Atiku “100%” because the “PDP has not been fair to me”.

The PDP stalwart said he worked for the victory of the flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, in Ekiti in the last general elections.

“I never worked for PDP during the last election. I cannot work for two people at the same time,” he said on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics programme.

“The reality is that I worked for Asiwaju (Tinubu). He is a respectable person from the South-West. It is the time of the South.”

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Fayose expressed his grievances with the PDP, saying that the party suspended him and his son, Oluwajomiloju, despite that he has “suffered tremendously for PDP”.

“The same PDP, because I said it was the turn of the South, removed my son, suspended my son, expelled my son, suspended me. For a man that has suffered tremendously for PDP?” he queried.

The ex-governor, and member of an aggrieved group within the PDP known as the G5 or the Integrity Group, said his party played games with Nigerians by giving its presidential ticket to Atiku, an ex-Vice President who is from Adamawa State in North-East Nigeria.

Fayose argued that with the expiration of the two-term tenure of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, who is also from the North, a Southern Nigerian should be the next President of the country.

He vowed to sue the PDP if the party takes disciplinary actions against him for supporting Tinubu in the last elections.

“If PDP take action against me, I will take them to court,” the ex-governor stated. “If anybody suppresses my voice, I will say things more than this.”

On the EU report, he said: “Where was the EU when I was hit on the head in an election in Ekiti state? Let them enjoy their report. The election has come and gone. Cases are in court. Let the court decide. But the 2023 presidential election was better than the election of 2019.”

Asked if he has the intentions of joining the APC, he said: “I will never ever be a member of the APC. You can serve Nigeria without being in office or holding an appointment. I have been Governor twice. I appreciate Nigerians.”