A former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, said on Friday genuine democratic governance would return to Nigeria after President Muhammadu Buhari left office in 2023.
Fayose, who disclosed this in a statement issued by his media aide, Lere Olayinka, added that there was no democracy to be celebrated presently in the country.
He decried the alleged “open display of contempt for free, fair and transparent election” by the present administration, saying “peace and prosperity can only be achieved when leaders earn legitimacy through the ballot.”
The ex-governor said:
“Today, there is no democracy to celebrate and I have not stopped wondering how we got here in Nigeria.
“It was painful that the legacy of free, fair and transparent elections bequeathed to Nigeria by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government has been destroyed with elections in the country now being held at gunpoint.
READ ALSO: How we moved N200m cash from Fayose’s home – EFCC witness
“Democracy will return to Nigeria again after President Buhari’s tenure. I am sure Nigerians will still recall that I warned them in 2015.
“The people mourn when the wicked are in authority while they rejoice when the righteous are in leadership. Today, Nigerians are mourning.
“Nevertheless, we must all keep hope alive because, after darkness, there will definitely be light.”
Fayose is currently standing trial for alleged N6.9 billion money laundering and fraud at the Federal High Court, Lagos.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alleged that the ex-governor collected N1.219 billion from the Office of National Security Adviser (ONSA) to fund his 2014 governorship campaign.
Opinions