George faults Fayose’s comments on Obaseki

Olayinka says former governor’s position misconstrued

A former National Deputy Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, has urged the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party to take drastic disciplinary action against former governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayo Fayose, over his anti-party comment on Governor Godwin Obaseki.

In a telephone chat with The Guardian, George said it was unfair and a sell out for Fayose to have gone on live television programme to castigate Obaseki, who is the standard-bearer of PDP in the coming governorship election in Edo State.

He said such comments from a former governor and strong member of the PDP like Fayose could jeopardise PDP’s chances of winning the election on September 19, 2020.

He, therefore, urged the leadership of the PDP to call Fayose to order and stop him from making further derogatory comments against Obaseki.”

However, in a reaction, Spokesman to Fayose, Mr. Yinka Olalere, said that Bode George must have misconstrued Fayose’s comments and “that is why he (George) is calling for disciplinary action against the former governor.”

According to Olalere: “What Fayose said was that he was not certain that Obaseki would not return to the All Progressives Congress (APC) fold peradventure he won the election on the PDP platform. The former governor also said though he was not too sure of Obaseki’s consistence in PDP but added that he feared the former National Chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomhole, more. It will therefore be unfair to say that Fayose’s comment may impact negatively on Obaseki’s chances of winning the election and that it amounts to anti-party act.”

MEANWHILE, a source in the PDP has said that Fayose’s disposition towards Obaseki might have been based on the premise that some APC’s governors are still backing Obaseki, who peradventure he wins under the PDP, stands a better chance to return to his former party.

The source also said that the former Ekiti State governor is still finding it difficult to trust Obaseki, who (Fayose) had alleged sponsored the thugs that travelled from Edo to disrupt PDP chances in the 2018 governorship election in Ekiti State.

When contacted, National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, said he would speak with the former governor and Olabode George.