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The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) in Ekiti State has criticised former Governor Ayodele Fayose over comment on former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s refusal to honour June 12 and winner of the 1993 presidential election, the late Moshood Abiola.
It said the former governor is not in a position to join other Nigerians to criticise Obasanjo over his alleged complicit role in the annulment of the historic and most credible election by the General Ibrahim Babangida’s junta.
Fayose had two days ago berated Obasanjo for failure to honour June 12 and its symbol, the late Abiola, praising President Muhammadu Buhari for respecting popular demand to honour June 12 and its hero, the late MKO Abiola.
But in a statement in Ado-Ekiti by the State Chairman of CNPP, Deacon Olu Akomolafe, the group accused Fayose of hypocrisy in his “fraudulent attempt to exploit public sentiment for undeserved applause”.
He said: “It is on record that Fayose was one of Obasanjo’s disciples who did everything possible to bury June 12 and its significance in the nation’s political history.
“While other governors in the South West were declaring June 12 as public holiday for workers in their states, Fayose was throughout his first term issuing threats to workers who observed June 12 as holiday.
“In his last term in office between 2014 and 2018, he did the same. But because he believes that Nigerians have short memories, he quickly queued behind June 12 activists to praise President Buhari for honouring what he (Fayose) stood against when he had the opportunity to lend support for the popular demand for the actualisation of June 12.”
Akomolafe also said Fayose was playing to the gallery in his accusation of Obasanjo for not honouring Abiola in order to attract public support for relevance in the next political dispensation.
“Fayose always believes he is wiser than all Nigerians and always thinks he can exploit any circumstance for political advantage.
“Fayose has been in Obasanjo’s throat over the years and he is only using June 12 to advance his attacks against Obasanjo and not because he supports June 12.
“He also thinks that he can reap political capital if he joins other Nigerians who are launching accusations against Obasanjo for his negative roles in June 12 struggle so that he can be seen as a pro-people politician whereas while he was governor in Ekiti State, one of the things he hated most was any mention of June 12.
“In fact, he once warned those he called ‘June 12 activists’ to stay off his administration and so we wonder now how a hater of June 12 suddenly turns an apostle of June 12 to lay fraudulent claim to be supporter of June 12 and MKO Abiola himself.
“Fayose cannot continue in his deceit to lay fraudulent claim to democratic ethos because in his life in government, he never for once demonstrated democratic conduct.
“Fayose’s scramble for recognition through exploitation of Obasanjo’s bashing by Nigerians over June 12 has failed.
“Fayose cannot blot out his name from the book of infamy over his antagonistic roles in the June 12 struggle and so he cannot now reap where he did not sow by joining other Nigerians who are happy that President Buihari has given recognition to June 12 as Nigeria’s Democracy Day while also honouring Abiola with the nation’s highest honour and naming the National Stadium after the winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.”
Deacon Olu Komolafe
Chairman,
CNPP, Ekiti State
