Former Governor of Oyo State, Senator Rashid Ladoja has thrown his support behind the Ekiti state governor, Ayodele Fayose in his bid to become Nigeria’s president in 2019.
Ladoja said no one in the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) should stop Fayose from contesting for Presidency in 2019 saying it is the governor’s fundermantal human rights to contest for the nation’s number seat.
Ladoja, who visited Governor Fayose at the governor’s office in Ado-Ekiti yesterday, said Fayose is eminently qualified to contest for presidency in 2019 and no one should stop him.
“Governor Fayose is my own brother and he is a go-getter. Whatever he sets his mind to achieve, he goes for it and he gets it. He is eminently qualified and possesses all the leadership capabilities to rule Nigeria and take us out of the woods.
“Some people in the PDP have said that they have zoned the presidency to the north, but it is left for Fayose to convince the members in the PDP to support him for his presidential ambition. He is fit for it judging from his antecedents as a quintessential leader in the country. I also want to advise the party leadership to use zoning of the presidency in a way that would guarantee the PDP winning the election in 2019 and not as a way of favouring some individuals who may not be ready for the job.”
The ex-governor who hinted that he is already packing his load and returning to the PDP, also told the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Ekiti to perish the thought of taking over power from the PDP in 2018, said: “Fayose has performed excellently well in governing Ekiti. There is no governor in this country today who can beat his chest two times and say my state came tops for two consecutive times in NECO. Fayose as a political enigma cannot be uprooted in Ekiti based on his good governance, transparency and the many good projects he is embarking on in the state and which has adorned the landscape of the Fountain of Knowlegde. I therefore advise APC to forget Ekiti in 2018, as Ekiti people would not like to leave Fayose for the need to continue the good works of Fayose.”
Speaking about his state and the chances of PDP in 2019, Ladoja lambasted current governor Abiola Ajimobi for “causing confusion with his newly enthroned ‘obas’ “,.
He said that the incumbent governor knows that he has lost popularity and relevance in the state and :” that is why he is causing distractions and confusions all over the place in the state”.
Ladoja therefore, expressed confidence that the PDP would take over power from APC in Oyo in 2019, saying: “Ajimobi has lost relevance in Oyo, especially with his obaship confusion project that is doomed from the start. So, I can confidently assure you that we will take over power from him in 2019.”
Speaking further about the obaship tussle which he has challenged in the court, Ladoja said though, the state government seems to be delaying justice by making effort to gag the judiciary, but :” the whole charade would not stand and cannot stand as our tradition, norms and regulations in Ibadan recognizes only Olubadan as the custodian of Obaship title and one who can confer it on anyone.”