Former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose has revealed that many governors in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) prefer President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) over their own party’s former presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
Fayose made this statement during an appearance on Channels TV’s “Politics Today,” where he criticized the coalition efforts proposed by Atiku, calling it a “dead horse.” He noted that the PDP governors’ recent actions, particularly during a meeting in Ibadan, Oyo State, showed their clear rejection of Atiku’s leadership.
“The coalition is a dead horse ab initio. Tell me one positive person that has given his words in support of this coalition,” Fayose remarked, underscoring the lack of enthusiasm and support for the alliance Atiku has been trying to form.
Fayose also pointed out the significance of the stance taken by the PDP governors at their gathering in Ibadan. “The governors’ stance in Ibadan is to tell Atiku that we are not with you, we are going nowhere, we have our own identity,” he said.
According to Fayose, this message was loud and clear: the PDP governors are determined to chart their own course, separate from Atiku’s vision. He went on to criticize the ongoing coalition plans, dismissing them as unrealistic.
“That coalition is just the imagination of people trying to bring it to fruition. It’s a waste of time. The governors are fighting for their own survival, and they don’t need an Atiku to fight for their survival,” Fayose explained.
He further stated that, in fact, many of the governors see aligning with Tinubu as a more viable option for their political future. “In actual fact, most of them prefer a Tinubu for their survival than an Atiku,” he said.
Fayose also pointed out the increasing rate of defections from the PDP, comparing it to the stability within the APC.
“You see the rate at which people are decamping from PDP. How many people are defecting from APC? Something is fundamentally wrong in PDP that needs to be fixed,” he noted, suggesting that the party’s current struggles are more serious than mere disagreements.
