- Makinde, Bode George masterminded my ‘cap-removal’ assault – Fayose
- Fayose merely seeking attention , I won’t join issues with him- Makinde
- That Was How Bola Ige Was Killed…Don’t Remove cap From My Head-Fayose
- I have No Hand In The Incident..Fayose Should Look Beyond Oyo-Makinde
Immediate past Governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayodele Fayose, has pointed accusing fingers at Oyo State Governor and Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) campaign committee for the Ondo governorship election, Engineer Seyi Makinde, and also a former Deputy National Chairman of PDP, Chief Bode George, for allegedly masterminding the assault on him at the party’s campaign rally for the Ondo State governorship election in Ondo town on Wednesday.
Recall that former Governor Fayose as one of the leaders in South West PDP, was making his way to the podium at the campaign ground when a hoodlum moved towards him and removed his cap out of disrespect. The incident caused some drama at the rally as it went viral on social media.
Fayose’s media aide, Mr Lere Olayinka reacting to the incident said it was shameful but that the former Governor would not be deterred in his pursuit of truth and justice, claiming the assault was planned.
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He said Fayose would continue to say the truth and point out the ills in the party and the manner the PDP is being ran in the Southwest geo-political zone.
Fayose also took a swipe at Bode George using the words “those who have failed to produce any result in Lagos State since 1999 will be made to retire.”
He noted that the assault on his person was not something to be handled with levity as security agencies will be tasked to unravel the identity of the political thugs brought to the event and their sponsors. According to him, he would file a formal report of the incident to the appropriate security agencies.
“That’s how late Chief Bola Ige’s cap was removed in Ile Ife, Osun State, then and we all know what happened later.
“So this one will not be ignored and treated as one of those things. The masterminds had it all planned and they followed it up by celebrating what they saw as the success of their plot. They even capped it up by circulating the video.
“So it was not an accident, it was planned. But those who planned it only succeeded in advertising their political myopism because popularity of the brand Ayo Fayose, Osokomole cannot be rubbished by such childish act. That they must have seen in the reaction of the people at the rally and I am sure they know that they can’t get such loud ovation even if they spend all the money in this world.
“As for me, I am unperturbed and I must say it clearly that those new comers to the PDP and their old allies, who won’t mind soiling the image of the party to achieve their aims will not be allowed to succeed,” he said.
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Meanwhile Governor Seyi Makinde has denied the claim by Fayose that he sponsored the assault against him at the PDP mega rally in Ondo held on Wednesday to help whittle down his political influence in Southwest politics.
Speaking through his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Mr. Taiwo Adisa, the Oyo State Governor said he does not intend to join issues with the former governor who loves to play to the gallery even when the occasion does not warrant it, adding that he isn’t Fayose’s enemy.
Adisa said: “I believe that ex-governor Fayose and his handlers need to look far away from Oyo state in search of their enemies.
“Governor Makinde has no link whatsoever with the incident Fayose’s aide was talking about.
“We expect all right-thinking members of the PDP to join the Governor of Oyo State in the prosecution of the noble and democratic assignment he is executing on behalf of the PDP in Ondo State at this time, instead of seeking to distract him one way or the other.
“The governor will, however, not be distracted either on the task at hand or on the well-intentioned desire to join other leaders to rebuild the PDP in the South-West geopolitical zone.”
The animosity between Fayose and Makinde may not be unconnected to who controls the PDP in the SouthWest. Recall that in September, the former governor issued a warning to Makinde not to step into Ekiti State.
Fayose, in a meeting last month when he led PDP delegates to Abeokuta, Ogun State said Makinde has no authority to interfere in the local politics at the various south-west states, despite being a zonal leader of the party.
According to Fayose, the Oyo State governor ordered the sack of PDP zonal executives in the south-west and replaced the sacked executives with a caretaker committee, adding that an attempt to change the leadership in Ekiti will be challenged effectively.
