Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose has announced the withdrawal of his ambition to contest for the office of the President in 2019.
The governor, had indicated intention to contest for the nation’s number one position early in the year.
Fayose had declared interest in the number one position in the country, vowing to defeat President Muhammadu Buhari in a free and fair election.
“I am inviting you today, distinguished leaders of our party, is to inform you formally that I will be seeking the ticket of our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to contest the 2019 presidential election,” he had said on September 28, 2017.
“My party leaders, standing before you is Peter (The Rock) Ayodele Fayose, the man already destined by God to take Nigeria out of the present political and economic stagnation.”
Fayose made this known on Saturday while receiving two presidential aspirants; former governor Rabiu Kwankwaso and former minister, Taminu Turaki, who came to lobby him and delegates in the state PDP.
He said he had to drop the ambition as mark of sympathy and concern for his deputy, Prof. Kolapo Olusola-Eleka, who lost in the last gubernatorial election in the state.
“I dropped the presidential ambition because of the stolen mandate freely given to my deputy. As a good leader, I cannot abandon my loyal deputy whose mandate was stolen by the APC and be pursuing another ambition.
“My posters are there in a room. I am committed to the recovery of the mandate for now more than anything else,” he said.
Before now, Fayose had not only opened campaign offices, but also came out with branded vehicles for campaign for the presidential slot.
The two visiting presidential aspirants assured PDP members in Ekiti that the party would regain power in 2019.
They urged the Ekiti delegates to consider their candidature so as to make the dream become a reality.
