Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, has said one of his greatest wishes on
his 57th birthday was to have woken up in the morning to receive a
congratulatory message from President Muhammadu Buhari or read such
message in the media.
He said he expected the president as the father of the nation to call him as a governor and a leading opposition figure.
Fayose spoke to journalists at the Government’s House in Ado-Ekiti.
“My wishes on my 57th birthday as Ayo Fayose are many but one of them
which will interest you is that I wish President Buhari’s
congratulatory call would have woken me up today as one of the governors
in the country and as a leading opposition figure in the country: a
fearless young man who believes that things should be done rightly.
“I expect the president to show himself as a father of all, preaching
that we must extend love to everybody – not only those in his political
party.
“The president would have made a difference if he had extended such
gesture to others beyond his political party. Such a congratulatory
message should have been conveyed through his Minister of Information
(Lai Muhammad). I would have loved to either wake up receiving a
congratulatory call from him or read it in the papers. But since it is
not coming, it is not a big deal to me and I take no offence on it.”
Fayose said he deserved commendation from Buhari because he was
contributing to the vibrancy of democracy being the opposition figure.
“I am not Buhari’s enemy. Opposition is the strength of democracy, it
ensures that the electorate get value for their votes. Those who
criticise your government are not your enemies, they are catalysts to
your growth as a government.”
The governor stated that he would celebrate his birthday with artisans,
Okada riders, market women and men, and people on the streets.
