The Ekiti State House of Assembly yesterday passed a vote of confidence on Governor Ayodele Fayose and pronounced him Nigeria’s leader of opposition.
In a motion moved by House Leader, Olatunji Akinyele, Fayose was pronounced Leader of the opposition for having emerged the lone opposition voice challenging, frontally, the ruling party’s controversial policies.
Akinyele, who described Fayose as a humble, articulate, consistent, amiable, lover of the masses and dynamic leader as well as Senior Advocate of the Masses, said: “You would all agree with me, Speaker, members of Ekiti House and the royal fathers, that within one year in office, our amiable governor has been able to carry out many impactful projects and roads. He has, also been bold enough to construct a verification excercise that has stopped fraudulent and ghost workers, has brought peace to the state by providing adequate security for the people, and increased our IGR because of his hard work to develop the state in both human and material capacities and has been bold enough to speak against the dictatorial tendencies of the Federal Government at the national level. He deserves the honour and should, therefore, be pronounced as leader of the opposition.”
Akinyele’s motion was supported by other members of the House. The motion was seconded by Omotosho paving the way for the Speaker, Kolawole Oluwawole, to pronounce Fayose as Nigeria’s leader of opposition after the House had voted in favour of the motion. Traditional monarchs, who witnessed the session thanked the lawmakers for supporting the governor and asked indigenes of the state across the world to join Fayose to develop the state.
In his response, Fayose described the House’s pronouncement as their own opinion, which he personally appreciates.
The governor said he would continue to rise to the occasion and speak against the shortcomings of the ruling party:” We should all strive for the survival of this country first. Great leaders don’t talk about their political placement, they talk about their country’s placement, what the country would be at the appropriate time. But on the issue of what I stand for, and what I say in opposition to the ruling party, I have no apology. And with due respect, I have been like this from time immemorial. This country belongs to all of us.” (Daily Sun)