- Insists Tinubu Won The Election, Fair And Square
- Scores INEC High, Indicts Security Operatives On Electoral Glitches
By Charles Adingupu
The popular Arise TV programme, “The Morning Show” with acclaimed huge number of viewing audience was on Thursday almost turned into a theatre of war as one of the most admirable anchorman, Rufai Oseni trade banter with former Ekiti State Governor, Peter Ayo Fayose, aka Peter De Rock who was one of the invited guests on the programme.
After the usual courtesies that accompany such TV Shows, the supposedly Chief Anchor of the programme, Dr Reuben Abati fired the first salvo on why he describes Obi/Atiku’s petitions to challenge the Electoral victory of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC at the just concluded presidential election as an exercise in futility to the controversial Ex Governor.
In his usual characteristic manner, Fayose poured his venoms on the Nigeria’s judiciary as being absolutely corrupt since the political evolution of democratic enthronement in Nigeria as previous petitions by aggrieved politicians suffered judicial suffocation.
The former Governor who described the litany of Petitions by aggrieved politicians seeking electoral redress as cash cow for lawyers, absolved the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC from any electoral glitches.
Fayose who scored INEC high in its performance in the just concluded “controversial” general elections, dumped the reportedly glaring skirmishes experienced at different polling units across Nigeria on the security operatives who allegedly compromised in their operations.
According to him, INEC officials by law are not permitted to bear arms, and expressed surprise over how they would withstand well armed party thugs hired to rig the elections.
The former Governor who declared unequivocally that the APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu won the presidential election fair and square, insisted that the process that brought Tinubu as President Elect was fair and credible.
Trouble however started when Rufai in his characteristic forthright manner threw the question to Fayose, “if he were to be at the other side or if Tinubu were to lost the election and seeking redress, would he, Fayose be saying that his petition will be an exercise in futility?”
Fayose in his response, flared up like a match flare, renting on air, ” let me tell you, Rufai, I’m not one of those politicians you delve into their personal lives. If you want to dig into my personal life, I’m ready for you.
“Reuben, I told you earlier when you invited me for the show to warn Rufai. I will not take it. Why must he go personal? We know where his loyalty lies. And we are ready for him and others of his likes.”
But the amiable Rufai who sees the whole drama as one of the hazards of his journalism profession, retorted to the former Governor, “you can’t teach me my job, and I’m doing it dispassionately.”
It took the intervention of Dr. Abati for normalcy to return to the studio that was almost on fire, set up by the oratory eloquence of Rufai and The Morning Show guest, Ayo Fayose.
The former Governor,who however, declared that the presidential election was not rigged, insisted that Tinubu won it as the PDP would not have expect anything more than what they got.
He expressed surprise why Nigerians would not factored the popular G-5 integrity group to the colossal failure PDP suffered at the polls.
The former Governor hailed the political acumen of the Rivers State Governor, Nysom Wike.
