Ekiti State governor, Mr Ayo Fayose, yesterday insisted that former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and leaders of thought in the North were not supporting the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari (retd),
Fayose said the development had “deflated the ego of the opposition party to the extent that it has tactically conceded defeat, only few days to the March 28 presidential election.”
In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Mr Idowu Adelusi, in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, Fayose added that “the sudden U-turn made by Northern leaders, who had realised that Buhari would be made to shortchange the North, had rattled the party.”
The governor noted that Atiku and his supporters were already retracing their steps back to the PDP and that the North had seen the deceit in the South-West APC leaders in pushing forward Buhari, even against the man’s interest.
Fayose also disclosed that the issue of health of the former General had become worrisome to the northern caucus which did not want to forget in a hurry, the Umaru Musa Yar’ Adua saga.
According to the governor, the APC was forced to cancel its presidential rallies in Kaduna and Enugu because Buhari was not yet physically and mentally fit to go for any rally.
Fayose added that while Buhari was still recuperating in a London hospital, he had to come back home, due to pressure mounted on him by certain leaders of his party who wanted to douse the growing apprehension by Nigerians over his state of health.
Continuing he said, “We thank the APC for conceding defeat in the coming elections. At least, they, for the first time, appear realistic. Buhari’s insistence that he ought to be allowed to attend to his health is commendable.
“It is glaring that he needs to rest and not waste energy on a failed project. The man has been abandoned by those who claim to be his backers and Buhari’s people have told him the bitter truth that they would prefer to wait for another four years than to get trapped by some selfish South-West leaders for eight years.
“The preoccupation of the APC now is how to retain the APC- controlled states and prevent the PDP from capturing them. The tactical withdrawal of people like Atiku, Rabiu Kwakwanso and the battle for survival by Bola Tinubu and Rotimi Amaechi in Lagos and Rivers have woken up Buhari to the politics of deceit that some are luring him into”.
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