Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, has squarely blamed the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) 2023 presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and former Sokoto State Governor, Senator Aminu Tambuwal, for what he described as the near-collapse of Nigeria’s main opposition party.
Speaking on Friday during an interview on Politics Today on Channels Television, Fayose said a series of internal decisions taken by influential party leaders ahead of the 2023 general election left the PDP deeply divided and politically weakened.
“Atiku destroyed the PDP, Tambuwal destroyed the PDP, and Ayu destroyed it. Politics is not fair; life itself is not balanced,” Fayose said, also referencing the party’s former National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu.
Despite remaining a long-standing member of the PDP, Fayose defended his controversial decision to support President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the 2023 polls. He insisted that his stance was driven by personal conviction rather than political gain.
“Everybody stands where they can speak the truth to Nigerians. I am not contesting elections, and I have not asked anyone for favours,” he stated.
The former governor added that he had been transparent about his political position from the outset.
“Openly, I supported Asiwaju Tinubu in 2023, and I didn’t hide it. Till now, I am still there. I didn’t jump. I am not a member of the APC, and I will never be,” Fayose said.
Fayose also commented on the political tension in Rivers State, revealing that he never anticipated the fallout between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. He recalled urging caution during Fubara’s inauguration.
“I was sitting on the high table the day Governor Fubara was sworn in, and I told Wike that I wanted to say one or two things to Fubara not to betray you,” he disclosed.
The PDP has remained mired in internal crises since the 2022 presidential primaries, where Atiku clinched the party’s ticket following Tambuwal’s withdrawal in his favour — a move that many party stakeholders now view as the beginning of the party’s deepening troubles.
