Gambia political crisis: Buhari lacks moral rights to intervene – Fayose
– Governor Ayodele Fayose describes Buhari’s intervention in the Gambia political crisis as an aberration
– Fayose says Buhari lacks the moral right to preach obedience to democratic principles to anyone because he lost election three times and never conceded defeat
– The governor accuses the Buhari administration of desperately moving Nigeria from a multi-party democracy to a one party state
President Yahya Jammeh of Gambia has rejected election result, after previously conceding defeat to his opponent.
Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state has faulted President Muhammadu Buhari’s involvement in the meeting with President Yahya Jammeh to persuade him to concede defeat.
Buhari recently visited the Gambia with heads of some African countries to prevail on Yahya Jammeh to step down from the leadership of the country after he was woefully defeated in a presidential election by Adama Barrow
He had congratulated Barrow and promised a smooth hand-over only to make a u-turn.
But Fayose, reacting to Buhari’s visit to Gambia in a statement on Wednesday, December 14, described the intervention of the Nigerian president in the Gambia political crisis as an aberration.
The governor in a release issued by his special assistant on public communications and new Media, Lere Olayinka, said a man like Buhari under whose free, fair and credible elections no longer exist lacks moral rights to preach obedience to democratic principles to anyone.
He said Buhari, who lost election three times and never conceded lacks the mediation skills to resolve the Gambai political stalemate, adding that such task should be left for great Africans like former President Goodluck Jonathan, President John Mahama of Ghana and others who have lost elections and conceded defeat.
The governor also accused the present administration of desperately moving Nigeria from a multi-party democracy to a one party state.
He said: “with what happened in Rivers State last weekend, it is certain that votes of Nigerians will no longer be allowed to count as the APC cabal in the Presidential villa has now assumed the roles of INEC, allocating votes to their party and using security agents to force their will on the people.”
“Did President Buhari face Jammeh and advised him to accept defeat the way he (Buhari) conceded defeat in 2003, 2007 and 2011 when violence was instigated and several people, including Youth Corp members were killed? Or did Buhari lecture Jammeh to take to democracy at gunpoint, which is now the norm in Nigeria?
“How can Buhari, who has destroyed the legacy of free, fair and credible elections that was handed over to him, be the one to prevail on someone else to adhere to democratic principles?”
Fayose advised Buhari to first remove the timber in his eyes before attempting to remove the toothpicks in other peoples’ eyes.
The governor however, faulted President Jammeh for reneging on his initial promise to accept defeat, but said the involvement of Buhari in the meeting to persuade him to step down was the height of hypocrisy.
The Fayose also raised the possibility of Buhari behaving like Jammeh in 2019 after he must have been defeated.
He said when that occurs, the international community may need a high-powered delegation get Buhari to concede defeat.
Similarly, Reno Omkri, the former special adviser on new media to former President Goodluck Jonathan has new reasons to castigate President Muhammadu Buhari over the latter’s actions and leadership style.
Omokri says the president does not have any moral right to prevail another person to step down.
Omokri’s argument is that Buhari has been doing his best to muzzle the opposition using every means including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other such agencies.
Illustrating with the 2011 election, Omokri also wondered if Buhari would have conceded defeat if he was in Jammeh’s condition.
