I’ve Never Hidden My Admiration For Tinubu – Fayose

Former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose has said he has never hidden his belief, admiration and respect for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Fayose said Tinubu is an example of a political leader to identify with, adding that he has more than proven in time past that he is the new leader of the Yoruba race.

The chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stated that he has been celebrating Tinubu’s birthday on the pages of major newspapers consistently for many years during his tenure as Ekiti governor.

Fayose recalled that in 2022, he reminded then-President Muhammadu Buhari that Tinubu was largely instrumental in his becoming president of Nigeria when the All Progressives Congress (APC) was planning to scheme him out of the presidential ticket.

The former governor asserted that he has not materially or by position benefited from Tinubu, adding that he was the first Nigerian despite being a member of the PDP to say that it is the turn of the South to produce the next President.

He said, “I have never hidden in my position on Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. Let me remind you very quickly. I never knew Asiwaju will be president of Nigeria and there was no time in 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 that I have not celebrated his birthday on the pages of newspapers as the then-governor of Ekiti state. One of the messages I passed across at that time was that party politics notwithstanding, he will remain our leader in the West for long.

“Even when the APC was playing games, I stood up to remind President Buhari that Asiwaju was largely instrumental in his becoming president of Nigeria. As a Yoruba man, he deserves to be accorded his respect. I want to remind you again that in 2021, I said all the shenanigans against him by those behind him will be defeated.

“I never knew he will be president of Nigeria. When he got back from the knee surgery treatment that he went for, I openly, during the day, went all the way to Bourdillon to welcome him back. I counted the costs before I took those actions. If Tinubu is not an example to identify with, somebody like me would not identify with him.

“Let me also tell you that till today, I have not materially or by position benefited from Asiwaju. I was the first Nigerian despite being a member of the PDP to say that it is the turn of the South and I have no regrets making that statement.”