Fayemi, currently the Director of Policy in the Muhammadu Buhari Campaign Organisation who, yesterday, disclosed the existence of verifiable proof of the plot, also reassured the President and his aides that a future APC national government would not witch-hunt them through a probe.
Showbiz Interactive: From right: Tony Elumelu, Chairman, Heirs Holdings; President Goodluck Jonathan; Mr Jim Ovia, Chairman, Zenith Bank; Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State (2nd row) and others on arrival at the Showbiz Interactive with GEJ, at Eko Hotel, Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele.
Showbiz Interactive: From right: Tony Elumelu, Chairman, Heirs Holdings; President Goodluck Jonathan; Mr Jim Ovia, Chairman, Zenith Bank; Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State (2nd row) and others on arrival at the Showbiz Interactive with GEJ, at Eko Hotel, Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele.
Fayemi, who spoke in Ado-Ekiti, nevertheless, cautioned the PDP-led administration against allowing any harm to the person of Tinubu, warning that any such harm would mean crossing the red line as he said that Tinubu’s assertion of a threat to his life was true.
Fayemi spoke at Aramoko Ekiti, yesterday, during the 40-day Fidau for the late Pa Jejelola Akingbolu and Mrs Raliat Akingbolu.
Tinubu had last week alleged that the Presidency had made a gesture for him to be part of an interim government to be constituted in the event the scheduled elections were truncated.
His assertion was despite prior dismissals of the plot for an interim government by President Jonathan, who described assertions towards an interim government as constitutionally untenable.
Jonathan is becoming desperate
Pressing the claim of the existence of a plot yesterday, Fayemi said Tinubu’s allegation was not meant to malign the personality of the president.
Fayemi said: “President Jonathan is becoming desperate by the day and he would stop at nothing to return to government. You know what they did in Ekiti. So, there was nothing Tinubu said that was not verifiable.
“I have evidence that he was invited to be part of Interim Government as a way of dividing us as a prominent member of our party. There is absolutely nothing they cannot do to distract us because they could see that the Presidency is gradually slipping off their hands.
“It was good that these alarms were being raised and put on the front burner that there was a sinister intention to subvert the will of the people.
“What Nigerians are looking for now is for the elections to be held on March 28 as scheduled by Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and for the victor who is overwhelmingly elected by the popular votes to be announced.
“We as party leaders and members of the opposition are ready to congratulate the winner, but if they go ahead and subvert the will of the people, they will surely go to jail.”
Buhari won’t probe past govts
Fayemi assured that Buhari will keep to his promise not to dig into the financial corruption of the past, including those that may have been perpetrated by the present administration.
“Maj-Gen Muhammadu Buhari has said he won’t look into the past. He said he would draw the line on the very day he takes over, and I don’t know why President Jonathan who has the paraphernalia of office is afraid of election.
“There is nothing the PDP, even as a ruling party, has not done to ensure that these elections are not held. We have heard about the sowing of fake army uniform. We have heard about how they want to use the army to rig the election.
“We have seen attempts to sack Prof. Attahiru Jega. We have heard about how they have been preaching about religion, talking about the health of Gen. Buhari and the way they had been canvassing postponement of elections and non-usage of card readers. The big question still remains: why are they afraid of election?”
Flays Fayose on Buhari’s health
Flaying Fayose for allegedly lying about Gen. Buhari’s health status, Fayemi urged the governor to stop ridiculing and debasing the virtue of respect the state is known for.
He said: “We have heard somebody whose own definition of politics is about lying, saying Gen Buhari was taken to a hospital in London. Buhari never went to the hospital throughout the 10 days he was in London because I was with him throughout.
“Fayose even used his mother as an example of how people who are old used to behave just because he wanted to drive home a point that Gen Buhari was sick. This is like disgracing his own mother in public and it is against the value Ekiti is known for.
“If Jonathan loses this election, he can still get whatever he wants. It is a matter of negotiation with Buhari, who has promised not to probe the past governments.
“But I want to say that we will hold Jonathan’s government responsible if even a little thing happens to Tinubu.”
North should beware of Tinubu – Fayose
Meanwhile, Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has warned the north to beware of the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Tinubu, describing him as a politician who can sell out anyone to achieve political gains.
Fayose, who maintained that Tinubu was not honest in his support for the APC presidential candidate, Major-General Buhari (rtd), said “knowing Buhari’s age, state of health and mental capability, Tinubu is only using him to hijack power from the North.”
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and President Goodluck Jonathan
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and President Goodluck Jonathan
Speaking through his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, Fayose said: “A man who could sell out his party candidates can sell out anyone given the right prize and political gains.
“Tinubu said with his mouth at Onikan Stadium, Lagos on Sunday that he was instrumental to the victory of President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2011 general elections.
“He said: ‘In 2011, I helped Jonathan become President because he made us believe he was a breath of fresh air.’
“The implication of this is that Tinubu sold out the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) presidential candidate, Malam Nuhu Ribadu in 2011 just the way he sold out the Action Congress (AC) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in 2007.
“That, to me, is treachery and on this issue of Buhari and the March 28 presidential election, I am saying again that the North should beware.
“The North should know that Tinubu’s support for Buhari is a Greek gift. Tinubu only wants to corner the economy of Nigeria, using Buhari because he knows that he (Buhari) is weak and even at 41, his military government was run by his deputy, Tunde Idiagbon.
“Therefore, now that the Almighty Allah has made Tinubu to confess that he traded off Ribadu in 2011, I am calling on our brothers and sisters from the North to beware of this political merchant, who is only out to shortchange the north for his own gains.”
