A former Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose, has raised fresh concerns over the fate of the opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party, warning that the party is sliding into irrelevance and could become a “carcass” if urgent reforms are not undertaken.
Fayose, who spoke on Monday after a private visit to President Bola Tinubu in Lagos, dismissed rumours of his defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress, even as he lauded the President’s handling of Nigeria’s battered economy.
“Let me first of all clear this, Ayo Fayose will not move from PDP to any political party, not even APC. I am 65 years old this year,” he declared.
But he was unsparing in his assessment of the state of the PDP, describing it as “a party in trouble.”
“Without doubt, the PDP is in trouble. And that’s the gospel truth. I believe if they don’t quickly take steps, the party in itself will become a carcass. That is the truth.”
Fayose’s remarks come amid a wave of defections from the PDP to the APC, including high-profile politicians who have cited dissatisfaction with the party’s direction and growing admiration for Tinubu’s leadership.
Although critical of his party’s woes, Fayose said his meeting with Tinubu was not about switching camps, but to commend the President and encourage him to do more for Nigerians.
“My visit is personal; to further encourage him to continue to do what he’s doing for Nigerians. No one is saying it is easy, but there’s no miracle that can turn things around overnight. For the little the President has done, we must commend him,” he said.
He said Tinubu’s administration has made “courageous steps” in stabilising the economy, including the currency, despite the challenging national context.
“An economy that was down is now being stabilised. There’s a difference between things changing outrightly and stabilisation. The achievements of this administration have put hope in tomorrow for all of us.”
Fayose also noted that his influence in resolving PDP’s internal crisis has waned since he left public office.
“I’m not in the front line anymore. I’m no more the governor of a state. The little contribution I could make, I made it while I was on the seat.”
Fayose said Nigerians must be made to understand the difficulty of leading a country in crisis, and urged political leaders to rise above party lines to support national development.
“The only thing we can do as leaders of this country today is to continue to encourage him. We must make the public understand how uneasy it is to lead,” he said.
