‘Why Fayose must shun unguarded utterances’

Rep Bimbo Daramola, representing Ekiti North Federal Constituency of Ekiti State, in this interview speaks on the ‘unguarded utterances’ of Gov Ayo Fayose and other national issues. Excerpts:

There are fears that the elections may not hold after all, that the ruling party, PDP, may come up with a 6-month postponement request based on Section 135 of the constitution. How do you see that?

I’ve heard all kinds of things about what people think on postponing the elections. But I want to give Mr. President the benefit of the doubt. He said it during his media chat and when he went to Lagos to commission naval ship that elections would hold as dated by INEC. I don’t think Mr. President will want to cast aspersions on his integrity. I believe that he will be mindful of his place in history.

There’s nothing wrong in losing an election. When you go to elections, it’s either you win or lose. You can win and lose your honour or lose but retain it. We’re 52 years as a nation and he has presided for six years. I think that is enough time to be able to impact. I think he has done his best. There’s nothing that Mr. President wants to do now that he has not had the opportunity to do in the past six years. What he needs to do now is to put his name in history.

One of the things that he says is part of his achievements is the fact that he has made the electoral process better. We agree. Let him, at this point in time, not arm-twist either the operators or the system itself. Let Mr. President allow Nigerians to decide if they want him back or not. If they don’t, let him come by May 29 and thank us for giving him six years and quietly return to Otouke and University of Port Harcourt. His students that he left behind are missing him, so let him dust his Zoology books, and he has more experience now as he has seen serious animals, that is Nigerians. He can go and use that to teach them as a Zoology professor.

Your state governor, Ayo Fayose, has been running some campaigns against Buhari. How do you feel about that?

It’s a depressing time for me when I read things like that coming out of Ekiti. It’s being like that since June 22. I’m saying that in a pensive mood, because there’s no way you’ll mention Ekiti today and people will say ‘but you’re from there now, what are you guys doing? What is happening to your state?’How come that Governor Fayose is walking a path that will not dignify him when history is told again. Even if General Buhari has any ailment, I expect that my governor shouldn’t flaunt mortality, it’s a morbid joke. He has taken the morbid joke, expression and comments too far.

When I see all of those things, my mind just goes back to ask: has Fayose forgotten the fact that he won’t always be a governor? For a man that God has chosen to give a second chance, if there’s anybody who should bridle his tongue, as the Bible has admonished us, it is a man like him. He was governor before but lost as a result of some human dynamics. He lost after three and half years, he didn’t make it all the way to the end. God in His infinite mercies decided to bring him back into reckoning, and he’s saying all of this? When he leaves that position, because it is not a traditional title, and all this noise of PDP, APC, political activities and all that, history will be there. Ten years from today, Fayose will be 65, in 20 years, he’ll be 75, if somebody brings him the newspaper or plays back some of these videos, will he be happy? Would history have judged him right? Will he stand on the right side of history if he decides to continue on this path? I’m hoping that he will be able to talk to himself to remember where he was coming from, what happened to him, how he went down and how God has brought him up again. I want him to leave the reality of the fact that he should not play God.

When God puts you in this kind of position, he is also watching. He should wake up every day and thank God, knowing full well that he is a human being. The fact that you’re a governor does not make you God. Like I do say on the floor, let us be mindful of the day that we won’t be in this position again. I prepare myself for the day that I won’t be in any position. I want to be able to walk the streets. I relate with people just as if I’m nobody because I’m truly nobody.

For Fayose, the only thing that is different between him and any other person is the emblem of state. The paraphernalia of office can be around another person some day. Tomorrow, what will you do? How will you be treated?

He was the one complaining about the way he was being treated when he was not governor. He should be mindful of the day he won’t be in that position so that all his actions, those things he had done and said will not speak against him when that day comes. I expect that he’ll be guided. The position of governor comes with high responsibility. You must weigh your

actions.

For Fayose, the only thing that is different between him and any other

person is the emblem of state. The paraphernalia of office can be around another person some day. Tomorrow, what

will you do?