… God will decide my ambition – Fayose
,From Jimoh Joseph, Ado Ekiti
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Wednesday stormed Ekiti State with his supporters to hold a consultation meeting with Governor Ayodele Fayose and members of his party regarding his ambition to govern the country
The former Vice President who stated his mission while fielding questions from reporters said he was in the state to parley with members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and Governor Fayose regarding his 2019 ambition.
Atiku said he planned to lay bare his ambition with governor Fayose whom he described as a force to reckon with in PDP, saying that, ” he calls the shots and when he does so, we all take the cue.”
The former number two man expressed gratitude to Governor Fayose for the warm reception accorded him on his arrival to the state.
He said: ” Since my return home to PDP, this is the first state I am visiting for consultations with party leaders. This is not surprising as Fayose and I had a good relationship since his first tenure as governor and I was Vice President. He is blunt and straightforward, a sharpshooter in politics and I respect him for that.
“But above all, he is also the chairman of our governors forum, today among the governors of the party, he calls the shots and when he does so, we all take the cue.
“I have visited this state severally with other governors in the saddle, what I have observed has been a monumental development in terms of infrastructure in the state and the quality of life of the people.
“I have seen what you have achieved and your footprints are all over the state capital, I commend you for that and for your leadership, I believe you have quite a lot to offer for our country. Another unique thing the governor has done is telling me that his deputy is being supported as the party candidate in the next election,
“This is a very rare feat in the democratic system of our country, how many deputy governors have succeeded their governors? it means he has foresight and want a someone to continue his good works. I am coming back to campaign with you for 2018 polls”, Atiku said. .
Responding, Governor Fayose who also described Atiku’s ambition as legitimate and a welcome development, said though he was expecting Atiku to discuss his presidential ambition with him privately as other aspirants would do, he nevertheless said that in spite of his aspiration to rule the nation, party’s interest would be placed above individual aspirations.
” He has not spoken to me privately about it, and may be he would do that in our private meeting. But his body language obviously shows he has an ambition which is legitimate. We will all examine everybody and we will play a level playing ground, as he has come, others will still come”.
On his rumoured Vice Presidential ambition, Fayose waxed prophetic that, “like I said, in the Book of Ezekiel 37: 33, the Bible says God asks that can this bone live, and the Prophet answers and say Thou Knoweth, all these questions are questions for God and he has answer for them, man has no answer.
” You may wish anything for me, but God’s wish is supreme. I deserve to serve this country as President. I have paid my due. I am not a hidden voice. I have all it takes to lead this country, but whichever way it goes, the interest of our party comes first, it is above our individual aspiration. Whoever the party finally picks as party’s candidate will be supported by others.”