Faced with the reality of the bigwigs presidential aspirants of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), outgoing Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Peter Ayo Fayose, the first to have indicated interest for the office, has dropped his ambition.
He said on Saturday that he was discontinuing his 2019 presidential ambition.
The governor was one of the earliest persons in the country to indicate intention to contest for the nation’s number one position early in the year, in spite of warnings that the party zoned the position to the North.
He dropped the hint on Saturday when he received the duo of former Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso and former Minister of Special Duties, Alhaji Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, (both presidential aspirants) who came to lobby him and PDP delegates in the state.
He said he had to drop the ambition as mark of sympathy and concern for his deputy, Prof. Kolapo Olusola-Eleka who, according to the now hardly-heard governor, lost to the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s John Kayode Fayemi at the last gubernatorial election in the state.
“I dropped the presidential ambition because of the stolen mandate freely given to my deputy.
“As a good leader, I cannot abandon my loyal deputy whose mandate was stolen by the APC and be pursuing another ambition.
“My posters are there in a room. I am committed to the recovery of the mandate for now more than anything else”, he said.
It is recalled that before now, Fayose had not only opened campaign offices but also came out with retinue of branded vehicles with which to campaign for the presidential slot.
The two visiting presidential aspirants boasted that PDP would regain power in 2019, and urged the Ekiti delegates to consider their candidature so as to make the dream become a reality.
