By DAPO FALADE
The schism in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took a turn for the worse as party leaders in the South-West are engaged in a war of words over the removal of a cap from the head of former Governor Ayodele Fayose at the mega governorship rally of the party held in Ondo, Ondo State, on Wednesday.
In a video that went viral, the former governor was seen making his way to the podium at the campaign ground when a man, suspected to be party thug, moved towards him and removed his cap.
Fayose had immediately pointed fingers at Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and former deputy national chairman of the party and a former governor of the old Ondo State, Chief Bode George, as the masterminds of the assault on him.
However, both Governor Makinde and Chief George dismissed the allegation against them as the ranting of a delusional person who is, once again, up to his notorious antics.
Reacting on Wednesday night, through his media aide, Lere Olayinka, Fayose said despite the shameful act, he would not stop saying the truth concerning the running of the party in the South-West, declaring that those who have failed to produce any result in Lagos State since 1999 would be made to retire.
He said he would make a formal report of the incident to the security agencies and the relevant party authorities, noting that it was not something to be handled with levity and that security agencies must unravel all the thugs allegedly brought to the event and their sponsors.
“That is how the late Chief Bola Ige’s cap was removed in Ile Ife, Osun State then and we all know what happened later. So this one will not be ignored and treated as one of those things.
“The masterminds had it all planned and they followed it up by celebrating what they saw as the success of their plot. They even capped it up by circulating the video.
“So it was not an accident; it was planned. But those who planned it only succeeded in advertising their political myopism because popularity of the brand Ayo Fayose, Osokomole, cannot be rubbished by such a childish act.
“That they must have seen in the reaction of the people at the rally and I am sure they know that they cannot get such loud ovation, even if they spend all the money in this world.
“As for me, I am unperturbed and I must say it clearly that those new comers to the PDP and their old allies, who won’t mind soiling the image of the party to achieve their aims, will not be allowed to succeed,” he said.
Reacting however on behalf of Makinde and George, Chairman, Oyo State Transport Company, Dare Adeleke, described the former Ekiti State governor as a disdainful and delusional liar.
Adeleke who has been very vocal in his criticism of Fayose for his alleged betrayal of Bode George, who he said was Fayose’s erstwhile benefactor, added that the former governor stage-managed the shameful incident.
“Fayose is a confusionist and is obviously seeking for attention from his benefactors in the All Progressives Congress (APC). He should go and settle his scores with whosoever he is having issues.
“Did you see the video? If you did, you will notice that Fayose positioned himself in such a situation that the cap could be easily removed by someone planted in the crowd. The man who took his cap is known to Fayose.
“Ayo Fayose is known for staging such notorious, dramatic false scenarios. Can we easily forget how he cried like a baby and put on a neck bracelet when it was obvious he was losing the [2018] election in Ekiti State, shouting that he was attacked by the police? The man is totally shameless.
“He is definitely seeking for favour from his paymasters in the APC. You can also see another video where he was pleading for forgiveness from whoever he may have offended.
“These two events happened on the same day. If, indeed, he was attacked by people allegedly sent by Governor Seyi Makinde and Chief Bode George, were they the ones he was begging to forgive him?,” Adeleke asked.
Insisting that Fayose orchestrated his own humiliation, Adeleke further said: “Suddenly, his toothless bulldog, Lere Olayinka, began barking, on the orders of his master, that it was Governor Makinde and Chief Bode George that are behind his orchestrated assault.
“You see, Chief Bode George and Governor Makinde are too refined and dignified to participate in such a disgraceful affair. It is Fayose who goes into the gutter to bathe in filth all the time.
“Nigerians already know him for that. He is regarded with scorn and repulsion everywhere he goes. His reputation as a very disrespectful and vulgar man precede him. He can continue crying like a lost hyena, the duo of and Governor Makinde and Chief Bode George will never stoop low to his level in the mud.”
He advised the former governor to desist from all the negative publicity he is giving himself as, according to him, “Fayose is making a mockery of himself, becoming a public spectacle, a clown nobody takes seriously anymore. He is fast losing what is left of his notorious values and even his paymaster will drop him like hot coal, soon.”
He alleged that Fayose is distracting the PDP from winning the Ondo State election, adding: “We must not forget that this same Fayose said Governor Obaseki could not win in Edo but his soothsayer, Babalawo, failed him.
“It is not hidden that Fayose is a supporter of Agboola Ajayi and the APC. Since he is claiming he was assaulted, he should be the one to report himself to the security agents. Ayo Fayose should stop maligning the star of the South-West and the new face of futuristic Nigeria, Engineer Seyi Makinde, a man he can never measure up to.”
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