By Valentine Amanze
The immediate past Governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayodele Fayose, has congratulated and commended Nigerians for the courage to stand against what he described as “gun-point democracy.”
He also described the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari in the last Saturday’s presidential
election as one which was secured “at the barrel of the gun” and deserving no celebration by the winner.
Fayose, through his Media Aide, Lere Olayinka, said, “Rather than a word of congratulation to Buhari, who will be leading our country against our wish as a nation, Nigerians are the ones who deserved to be praised for their
courage.”
The former governor described the roles played by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies in the election as shameful.
According to him, “Their inordinate and inglorious desire to deprive Nigerians of
a credible leadership was made manifest from the start.”
He said that the brazen manner in which the election was conducted and “won” further played out the reason Justice Walter Onnoghen was removed as the Chief Justice of Nigeria.
His words: “At the barrel of the gun, today, Nigerians are cowed and captured evidently by the non-celebration of this Pyrrhic victory by anyone in Nigeria except those who hoped to benefit directly from it,
which is characteristics of a thief that came in the night to deprive residents of their belongings, leaving them in anguish and nightmare.
“This election will remain in the annals of our history as a nation as a bare-faced rape on democracy.
“Rather than celebrating today, Nigerians, especially those whose loved ones were brutally murdered for a cabal to sustain their hold on the country are moody and sad. However, in their quiet moment, they
are consoled with the fact that no one can attain everlasting joy by subjecting others to perpetual sorrow.
“Definitely, the blood of those innocent Nigerians that were murdered
just to actualize this inordinate ambition will speak justice on the heads of the perpetrators and beneficiaries of the killings and also speak better things for our tomorrow, having paid the supreme prize.”
While reiterating his avowed commitment to the defense of the oppressed in the country, the former governor said; “As already known, I am not afraid of arrest and detention. I have been persecuted and
still being persecuted because of my stand on national issues and I will remain undaunted.
“Let me therefore commend Nigerians and tell them that they should
not lose hope because help will come someday.
“As for the President; no victory songs for him, he should rather
begin a soul-searching, constantly asking himself why he opted to drag Nigeria and its democracy back to the FEDECO years of 1979 and 1983 in which votes were merely allocated to candidates.”