The immediate-past Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has said that President Muhammadu Buhari’s purported admittance that the economy was in “bad shape” was a vote of no confidence on his administration.
The Chairman of Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) and Zamfara Governor, Abdulaziz Yari, disclosed the president’s comment while briefing State House correspondents shortly after Buhari met the 36 state governors in a closed-door meeting on Friday over the proposed new minimum wage.
Yari said that after telling him of their mission, the president thanked them and said “the economy is in bad shape and that we have to come together, think and rethink on the way forward.”
Reacting, Fayose, who spoke through his media aide, Lere Olayinka, said that the president’s statement was an open admittance of incompetence.
He urged the president to resign his position and go home since he has already admitted failure.
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Fayose said, “In saner climes, a leader, who admitted that he has failed and passed (a) vote of no confidence on himself won’t be seeking re-election; he will rather excuse himself and quietly return home.”
He added, “If after spending three and half years as president, you are still complaining that the economy is in bad shape, isn’t that a clear indictment on your own government? If by your own assessment, you have failed, shouldn’t you just excuse us?”
Fayose said the choice before Nigerians was Buhari, who has admitted failure, and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who has shown capacity to lead the nation out of its present challenges.
The ex-governor pleaded with Nigerians never to again entrust the fate of 200 million citizens into the hands of Buhari, saying he has admitted lack of capacity.
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“For a president who boasted that he would clear the North-East of the Boko Haram insurgents within three months and make life more meaningful for Nigerians, the signs that he must take a bow and return home are clear.
“Most importantly, when a president comes out to his people who have lost over 10 million jobs and are suffering (and says) that they should expect more hardship next year, such a president should be told in plain language that his time is up,” Fayose said.