Osun state governor, Rauf Aregbesola has told his Ekiti counterpart, Ayodele Fayose to face reality and accept the fact that his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is dead for good.
Aregbesola said he didn’t mean Fayose must join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) but he advised him to pitch his tent with a party that had future with the people of Nigeria.
He also charged the Ekiti State governor to direct his energy towards bringing human and physical development to Nigeria’s western region and the country as a whole, rather than dissipating it on criticizing government.
Aregbesola said this when Fayose visited him at the Government House in Osogbo.
Fayose, had earlier said he was not in Osun for any political reason and that he was not ready to abandon the PDP for the APC.
Mr. Fayose however said his belief in the Yoruba race and its development and unity remained unshaken.
Aregbesola described Fayose’s visit to Osun as a demonstration of maturity, saying it takes a very matured human being to know that at the end of every public office, he would be left with humanity.
He said, “Osoko has said that he is not going to leave his party, but the reality today is that PDP has served its term in Nigeria. When a horse is dead, it is either you abandon it or you bury it.
“I want my good friend and brother to know that PDP has exhausted its stay in Nigeria, it can no longer be revived. Let us look at a political party that will give hope to our people. Opposition must be for a purpose, I stand by you on the unity of Yoruba land and that our leaders should not put down in the country.
“The war is over, we are in a season of mobilising our people to agriculture and produce such that we will economically have the strength to give leadership to the nation and Africa. Our energy must be directed at bringing human and physical development, we have enough in this region to give leadership,” Mr. Aregbesola said.
He assured Mr. Fayose that he would stand by him in his effort to galvanise the people of the South-west for accelerated development.
The governor, who lamented the present economic situation of the country, noted that there was an invasion on the economy of Nigeria to the extent that the country was loosing 75 percent of her income due to oil glut.
“The country is facing a very serious crises with the rate at which the crude oil price is falling. There is an invasion on the economy to the level that we are loosing 75 percent of our income which is not good.
“At this point, wise people must have an alternative to oil which part of it is your visit. We must use our culture and affinity to form a bond that can make our people live a normal life, it is a duty that we owe our people, States and Nigeria as a whole.”
Speaking earlier, Governor Fayose stated that against all speculations that he was coming to Osogbo to ask Mr. Aregbesola help him beg President Muhammadu Buhari, he was in Osun for the unity of the Yoruba race.
He added that the Yoruba race was greater than any political office hence his belief in the development of the race.
The governor averred that the visit of the Ooni of Ife to the 45th coronation anniversary of the Alaafin of Oyo was instructive hence the need for every Yoruba sons and daughters to see to the unity and progress of the race.
He said, “This is my first official visit to any APC state in Nigeria. I am not in Osogbo to ask Aregbesola to help me beg as being speculated in some quarters. We are all Yoruba, politics is like water, it can flow anywhere.
“I believe in the Yoruba race, the race comes first before the office of the governor. The race is eternal while that of governor is momentary. We must watch today to be guided by tomorrow. I am here for the unity of Yoruba as it affect the Oodua, the progenitor,” he said.
