By Bologi M. Maikudi
Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has said he was disappointed that President Muhammadu Buhari did not act like the true father of the nation by calling to wish him well on his 57th birthday.
The celebrant told reporters at the Government House, Ado Ekiti on Wednesday that one of his greatest wishes on his birthday was to have woken up in the morning to receive a congratulatory message from President Buhari or read such message in the media.
“My wishes on my 57th birthday as Ayo Fayose are many but one of them which will interest you is that I wish President Buhari’s congratulatory call would have woken me up today as one of the governors in the country and as a leading opposition figure in the country: a fearless young man who believes that things should be done rightly.
“I expect the president to show himself as a father of all, preaching that we must extend love to everybody – not only those in his political party.
“The president would have made a difference if he had extended such gesture to others beyond his political party. Such a congratulatory message should have been conveyed through his Minister of Information (Lai Muhammad).
I would have loved to either wake up receiving a congratulatory call from him or read it in the papers. But since it is not coming, it is not a big deal to me and I take no offence on it,” he said.
Fayose argued that he deserved commendation from President Buhari because he was contributing to the vibrancy of democracy being the strongest voice in the opposition circles.
“I am not Buhari’s enemy. Opposition is the strength of democracy; it ensures that the electorate gets value for their votes. Those who criticise your government are not your enemies; they are catalysts to your growth as a government,” he said.
The governor stated further that he would celebrate his birthday with artisans, Okada riders, market women and men, and people on the streets.