"I Phoned Buhari 3 Times, But He Shunned My Calls" – Fayose

Ayodele Fayose, governor of Ekiti, has opened up on his effort to have a word with President Muhammadu Buhari, who he frequently criticizes.

Fayose claimed he phoned the Aso Villa three times, asking to speak to the president, but each time was diverted to the Buhari’s chief security officer.

“About two – three times I called the villa they would divert my call to the CSO, saying I cannot talk to the president. I should say whatever I want to say to him; a sitting governor? That is not Nigeria. So, at that point, I had to stay clear because they were on a vendetta mission”, Fayose said in a private interview with select journalists.


The embattled governor facing allegation of diverting public funds, also, said he wrote letters to the president.

“I wrote three letters to the president, none of them was replied. Initially, when he became president, I didn’t start like this”, Fayose added.
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Asked why, as sitting governor, he shuns state executive council meetings with the president, Fayose said: “Each time they call meeting, my deputy goes there”.

Fayose added that he has did not harrass anyone despite provocation.

“The fact that I criticise you; I don’t have to be in your party! The APC, every day they come here to do rallies, they say that Fayose should resign, they say Fayose is fraudulent, did you see me slapping anybody? I will just look at you. There is freedom of expression.

“Even in the face of intimidation and even in the face of misbehaving, as a leader, you should accommodate all. Let me give you one instance, which the APC can never do to anybody. Throughout the tenure Fayemi was here, I never used a word that is unclean on him. I tell him he is our leader because anybody God has put there is our leader truly.”