Former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has declared that supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) does not amount to anti-party activity, insisting that political realities must be acknowledged when party candidates lack the capacity to win elections.
Fayose made the remarks on Sunday during the PDP convention in Abuja while speaking in an interview on Channels Television, where he openly defended his support for President Tinubu and Ekiti State Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, despite remaining a member of the opposition PDP.
The former governor argued that democracy allows individuals to take positions based on conviction, stressing that political loyalty should not blind leaders to competence and performance.
“We must not say it is our party member that must win when we know our party member has no capacity,” Fayose said firmly.
The former governor questioned the political strength of the PDP in comparison to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), particularly in the South-West region, asking rhetorically: “Would you compare a Makinde to an Asiwaju?”
“In the region, Seyi Makinde, the Oyo State Governor, is the sole governor from the PDP.
During the interview, Fayose dismissed suggestions that his support for Tinubu amounts to hypocrisy or anti-party conduct, stating that national interest must take precedence over partisan sentiment.
When confronted by the anchor that many observers perceive the PDP’s current posture as functioning like “the second arm of the APC,” Fayose disagreed strongly.
“I don’t agree. One fantastic thing you know about me is that I won’t come here because it is television and live and begin to deceive people,” he said.
Fayose recalled that even during his time as governor of Ekiti State, he had acknowledged Tinubu’s political foresight and influence.
“When I was a sitting governor in Ekiti, President Bola Tinubu showed that vision. When he had the news, I didn’t show it a lot. Do you understand?” he stated.
He also confirmed his support for the current Ekiti governor, Oyebanji, emphasising that political alignment should not override the need to support good governance.
“The governor of Ekiti, Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, I’m supporting him,” Fayose said.
Drawing parallels with global politics, Fayose argued that differences within political parties are common in democratic systems.
“In the Republicans, not everybody is supporting (US President Donald) Trump. This is what they call the future of democracy,” he stated.
According to him, the PDP will still present a candidate in future elections, but the party must first address its structural weaknesses.
“Everybody is saying they are watching the news. PDP will have a candidate, won’t we?” he asked.
Reaffirming his political stance, Fayose maintained that he remains a loyal member of the PDP despite openly backing Tinubu and Oyebanji.
“I’m supporting Governor Oyebanji, I’m supporting President Tinubu without doubt, and I’m still a member of the PDP,” he said.
When the anchor suggested that critics describe such a position as hypocrisy and antipathy, Fayose rejected the characterisation.
“No, sir. Nigeria is about all of us. You are first an Ekiti man before you become a political party card bearer,” he responded.
He added that political leaders from Ekiti State, regardless of party affiliation, are united in their support for the incumbent governor.
“Originally, I’m from Ekiti. All the former governors of Ekiti, they are behind the current governor. We don’t say because we are in this political party, we cannot say what is good. That is not our intention,” he said.
Fayose also argued that political independence of thought should not be punished, citing examples from international politics.
“Obama is not supporting Democrats. The son of the former president of America too is not supporting Trump. Have they expelled them? No. Democracy sometimes will have those differences on national issues,” he said.
He reiterated his position that the PDP currently lacks the electoral strength to defeat Tinubu, particularly given the political influence of the ruling party across several states.
“Tell me how you want to defeat Asiwaju? With 32 governors? All the fish jumped out of water. So it was Wike that took them out of water,” Fayose said, in apparent reference to internal party crises.
He claimed that many PDP governors have distanced themselves from the party’s direction, weakening its chances in future elections.
“All the governors in PDP, they jumped out of water. Let me tell you, the worst thing is when you have only two governors. It doesn’t make sense,” he said.
Fayose recalled that he had earlier predicted the party’s poor showing in elections.
“For this election, I told you in your station, PDP will not even come close. I told you. No, you cannot defeat him. I can’t defeat him,” he declared.
When asked directly whether he could defeat Tinubu if given the opportunity, Fayose admitted that the president remains politically formidable.
“No, no, I can’t beat Asiwaju. Put me on the ballot. I love to be on the ballot. I love to contest against Asiwaju,” he said.
However, he maintained that he has not lost his political relevance and would still perform strongly if given the opportunity to contest.
“If this convention, the presidential convention, picks me as the flagbearer from the West, yes, I will still do my best. I’ve not lost that power,” Fayose added.
He expressed satisfaction with the performance of President Tinubu so far, noting that leadership should be evaluated based on comparative progress rather than perfection.
“I’m happy with what Asiwaju is doing. You don’t have to have 100 percent of any issue before you can be said to have been doing well. But when you relate our past with our present, he is not doing badly. That’s my position,” Fayose stated.
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