Quoting him, “Haven’t we now seen what operates in saner climes with the resignation of the British LP and Democrat leaders? Shouldn’t our party National Chairman also take a cue from this and allow for fresh minds to steer the ship of the party at this difficult time?” Of a truth, Gov. Fayose was right in the stepping aside call on his party leadership. Muazu and his colleagues at Wadata House led their party to one of the most awful election since the inception of the party in 1998. As noble as the call, piper like Mr Ayo Fayose should have considered it twice if he is fitted to blow the whistle. The man has forgotten history. Though his approval of his leadership by his citizenry is not in question, their supports in every election have proved that he is a man to beat in the Fountain of Knowledge.
It is truly sure that we need men and women of Gov. Fayose’s “saner” ideologies in our political system. He want resignation of key officers because of what he thought are the path of honour, unfortunately, he has forgotten that Nigeria is not yet a “sane” country. If Nigeria is a sane country, men like Gov. Peter Ayodele Fayose should not be occupying the type of position he is today. In a saner society, the governor should have been sent to political oblivion. The media in saner country would have tagged him “shamed” “disgraced” “rat” etc.
In September 2012, the British Parliament chief whip, Andrew Mitchell, was alleged to have used fowl language against some policemen on his way while riding his bicycle; he was accused of calling the cops “plebes”, the allegation he vehemently denied, on the third day, Mitchell stepped aside to allow independent investigators to have their way, later, he was fined and resigned as a parliament. Just last year, in the build up to the gubernatorial election in his state, there was allegation that Gov Fayose was led some political hoodlum to assault a judge within a court premises, the sanity of a country never cross his mind. He never thought of withdrawing from the race for proper investigations. Although it is an allegation, but such a glaring mere allegation in the said sane country is enough for withdrawal of an aspirant from any electoral contest.
The same year, after the election, an audio tape surfaced, where Gov. Fayose and some other prominent individuals within the ruling party were alleged to have perfected the rigging plan of the election to his favour using the available security apparatus. In a sane society such as Great Britain, a character like him will never smell public office again. There are allegations of murders, yet he was still able to ascend to the position of governor, that will never happen in sane society but in Nigeria. Why crucifying Muazu? For God’s sake, you would have considered issues before making some statements. I want a Nigeria where our own Ed Miliband will quickly throw in the towel but such crusade could have been led by different morally liberal personalities and not the like of Fayose of this world.
In Britain, corruption allegation is serious and no one treat it with kid gloves. That is a sane society. In Nigeria, corrupt people dominate and control the system. May be Gov. Fayose has forgotten, in 2012, several British MPs were alleged to have mistakenly or deliberately claimed few pounds in excess of their entitlement. They all faced the music squarely as they were forced to return the excess claimed expenses, some ended up in jail and others resigned their positions. That is a sane society. In a case before Justice Hobon Adamu, Gov. Fayose is still facing a 27-count charge of conversion of about N400 million public funds to private use. I recognise he is an innocent until otherwise proven by competent court of law but the morality demanded that he shouldn’t have ever contested at all, where is the sanity?
In 2008, Ian Oakley, 31, harassed Sal Brinton and Russell Wilson, the co-contestants in a council election, he called them child abuser and wrote some letter to them suggesting they are not fit to contest election against him. He was reported to the police, he later resigned as prospective parliamentary candidate for Watford. Governor Fayose should have resigned after the public outcry over his death wishes adverts of Gen. Mohammadu Buhari. What is the difference between Ian Oakley and Gov. Fayose? I wish the governor well in his voyage to see a new vibrant PDP but advocating a change using an instance of a sane country is pathetic. If Adamu Muazu must resign, then where should Governor Fayose be?
Jacob Ogunseye – JEDD Centre for Leadership and Direction (jeddcentreflandd@mail.com)
