The Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has said that the All Progressives Congress Presidential Candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, should seek forgiveness and not votes from the people of the Yoruba land and even those in Edo and Delta States.
“Buhari’s coup of 1983 destroyed the Southwest and the old Bendel State (now Edo and Delta) as it put an end to the developmental programmes of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) government in the Southwest States of Lagos, Oyo, Ogun and Ondo, as well as Bendel State,” Mr. Fayose said.
Speaking through his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, Mr. Fayose said Mr. Buhari meted out inhuman treatment to Yoruba leaders like Obafemi Awolowo, Adekunle Ajasin, Bisi Onabanjo, Bola Ige, Lateef Jakande and the immediate past APC National Chairman, Bisi Akande, all of whom championed development and good governance in the Southwest States.
The governor described Mr. Buhari’s cancellation of the Lagos metroline project in 1985 as the greatest disservice to the Yoruba people in particular, and Nigerians in general.
“If Buhari had not cancelled the metroline project out of vendetta, transportation problems in Lagos would have been solved permanently.
“The metroline project would have made life easier and changed the face of transport in Lagos. But Buhari cancelled it and even went ahead to pay compensation to the French company that handled it. Buhari’s action cost Lagosians over $78 million then,” Mr. Fayose said.
Speaking further, the governor said; “In Yorubaland, we were enjoying free education and free health before Buhari came. Then, all that was needed to go to primary and secondary schools was school uniform. Drugs were free.
“Apart from free education and free health, the Southwest witnessed rapid development. Lagos State University, Ogun State University (now Olabisi Onabanjo University), Ondo State University (now Ekiti State University), Ondo State Polytechnic (now Rufus Giwa Polytechnic), and several other institutions were established.
“As at 1979, Lagos State had no secretariat. Jakande’s government built the Alausa Secretariat within four years. Ajasin’s government built Alagbaka Secretariat in Akure within four years. Even the Lekki-Epe road on which they are now collecting tolls was constructed by Jakande.
“For all that they did for us in Yorubaland, what did Buhari do to Jakande, Ajasin, Bola Ige and Bisi Onabanjo? He jailed them and Bisi Onabanjo came out of prison with health issues that eventually claimed his life.
“What did Buhari do to reward Awolowo, whose party gave us free education and free health? Awolowo’s international passport was seized and he was prevented from travelling abroad for medical treatment. Awolowo died two years after!
“In 1984 that Buhari introduced school fees, thousands of our youths then dropped out of school.
“Therefore, Buhari who truncated the future of many of our people and jailed our leaders who served our land selflessly should be seeking forgiveness from Yoruba people, not votes.”
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