Don’t Allow Yourselves to Be Insulted by ‘Stomach Infrastructure,’ Buhari Tells Ekiti Voters
Ngige unwittingly campaigns for Fayose
President Muhammadu Buhari has advised Ekiti State voters to embrace the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress(APC), Dr. Kayode Fayemi in the next Saturday’s election, and not allow themselves to be demeaned by the concept of stomach infrastructure.
This is coming as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described yesterday’s rally by the APC in Ekiti State as a charade in which non-performing governors were brought to campaign for the party’s governorship candidate, Fayemi.
The Governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayodele Fayose, has stated that the National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, was not fit to query his academic credentials, and urged the ruling party’s chairman to tell President Buhari to tender his credentials before raising issues about him.
However, there was a mild drama at the APC rally yesterday as the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, unwittingly implored the Ekiti electorate to vote for Governor Ayodele Fayose of the PDP in the forthcoming gubernatorial election.
Speaking at the rally held at the popular Oluyemi Kayode Stadium in Ado Ekiti, the state capital city, Buhari also dispelled the insinuation by detractors that he had been protecting the killer herdsmen owing to his ethnic affinity with them, saying he has not shied away from his responsibility to provide security for every Nigerian, regardless of race and religion.
This was as the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and Oshiomhole have urged Ekiti electorate to vote Fayemi to bail the state out of poverty being experienced under Fayose’s government.
Dignitaries at the event were: Governor Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), Rauf Aregbesola(Osun), Bindow Jbrilla (Adamawa), Kashim Shetima (Borno), Senator Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo), Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa), Edo Deputy Governor, Hon. Philip Shuaib; Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Abdulaziz Yari(Zamfara), and Yahaya Bello(Kogi).
Others were: Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha; Ministers of Labour, Chief Chris Ngige; Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola; Senior Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs, Abike Dabiri;former Governors Niyi Adebayo, Segun Osoba, Segun Oni, and Chief Bisi Akande, among others.
Buhari, while speaking at the mega rally organised to drum support for Fayemi said he had initiated 13 federal road intervention projects in the state since assumption of office, contrary to the rumour that he had abandoned the state.
“I want you to align Ekiti State with the change agenda of our government. Since I came on board, I have initiated 13 federal road projects in Ekiti State. We have completed the failed portions of the Ifaki-Ikole –Omuo road, Ifaki-Ido road, Efon-Iwaraja road, while AdoIfaki road has been re-awarded.The APC government had also awarded the construction of a Federal Secretariat in Ekiti State. We have also extended the National Housing Scheme to Ekiti for the state not to be neglected in the scheme of things. Under my government, Ekiti has enjoyed unprecedented federal appointments while people have also benefited from N-Power and intervention funds like bailouts funds despite belonging to opposition,” he said.
“So, don’t allow yourselves to be insulted by stomach infrastructure; vote APC on Saturday so that you can grow your own better infrastructure,” he added.
On the killings across the country, which have been traced to the herdsmen, Buhari said: “Some are displaying mischievous attitudes by linking me to killer herdsmen just because I am a Fulani man. This is a cheap blackmail that was far from the truth,” he said.
Also speaking, Tinubu said the massive looting of the treasury brought about the recession that hit the economy under Buhari.
He urged the people not to be intimidated by the PDP, saying they should come out on the day of election and vote for APC.
On his part, Oshiomhole accused Fayose of embezzling the N20 billion bail-out funds given to the state by President Buhari to pay workers.
He said Fayemi did excellently well as a governor of Ekiti State by bringing finesse to governance, saying time has come for him to reap the fruit of his labour.
But speaking on behalf of the ministers, Ngige unwittingly implored the Ekiti people to vote for Fayose.
In a video captured by Channels Television, Ngige in his passion to canvass for Fayemi, called on the crowd to vote Fayose, the incumbent governor of the state.
Speaking in Pidgin English, a popular and widely accepted local parlance in the country, Ngige unknowingly said Fayose was the better choice.
“We thank the leaders of our party, especially those from the South-west for forgiving Ekiti people for the mistake they made in 2014,” he said.
“They won’t make that mistake again. If you marry two wives, you will know the better wife. Fayose (sic) is the better wife. Fayose cooks and gives her husband food. She doesn’t give him trouble. So you must bring back Fayose on Saturday.”
With this repetition, the Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs and the Diaspora to the President, Abike Dabiri, who had obviously had enough was seen frantically tapping his shoulders and whispering Fayemi’s name to him.
Meanwhile, Fayose, has stated that Oshiomhole, is not fit to query his academic credentials.
Addressing the mammoth crowd yesterday in Ado Ekiti, the state capital, Fayose, chided the federal government for drafting security men to block the gates of the government house.
Fayose also took a swipe at Oshiomhole for questioning the academic credentials of the PDP candidate.