Wole Balogun, Ado-Ekiti
A pro-democracy youth Forum, the South West Youth Assembly (SWYA), has urged the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to ensure that his choice of a running mate is outgoing Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose.
The Forum said Governor Fayose has been the most vocal, courageous and relentless opposition voice in the party and in Nigeria at large.
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SWYA gave Atiku the advice on the grounds that Governor Fayose towers above other opposition voices in the country and given the fact that the Ekiti State governor has given his best in defending democracy by speaking against the many dictatorial tendencies of the President Mohammadu Buhari’s administration.
In a statement made available to newsmen, in Ado-Ekiti, on Thursday, and signed by the Forum’s Publicity Secretary, Rotimi Fagbemi, the SWYA said, ” While we congratulate his Excellency, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the Turaki of Adamawa and former Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria who has now been overwhelmingly elected by the great PDP as its Presidential flag bearer, we want to emphasise that he remains a very credible choice of the main opposition party and we urge him to ensure that his choice of a running mate is equally a most credible personality in the person of Ayodele Fayose.
“Your Excellency will recall that Governor Fayose towers above many other opposition voices in the country. Right from the ill-fated choice of President Buhari as the presidential candidate of All Progressive Congress (APC), Fayose has taken up the gauntlet of sound and punchy criticism of the Buhari administration, scrutinizing his policies and flaying his dictatorial tendencies and practices.
“But for Fayose, the ruling party would have subjected Nigerians to a more tragic and traumatic experience at a time democratic principles should be the guiding light of governance in Nigeria.
“Fayose has been undaunted and relentless in challenging the powers that be and putting them on their toes towards ensuring that Nigerians enjoy a democratic governance to the fullest.
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“He has done all these even to the point of risking his life and those of others around him.
“Governor Fayose has also been a great performer as a public servant in Ekiti State.
“His intimidating performance in the areas of provision of infrastructural projects, easing the standard of education, providing people oriented governance and putting Ekiti on a pedestal of sound democratic terrain among others are some of the testimonies to the fact.
“Also, as your Excellency has always testified to it, Fayose enjoys a huge national support across the nook and cranny of the nation.
“It is because of the aforementioned reasons and many others, that we urge Your Excellency to choose Fayose as your running mate so you could enjoy not only our support as representatives of the Nigerians youths but also of millions of other livers of democracy and Fayose as a champion of democracy in the nation, ” it said.