Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State was conspicuously absent as President Muhammadu Buhari met with state governors at the State House on Friday.
The governors were led to the meeting by Chairman Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Governor Abubakar Yari of Zamfara State.
VIDEO: President @MBuhari‘s Meeting with State Governors this afternoon, at the Council Chambers of the State House. pic.twitter.com/Znrfg5fZTm
— Presidency Nigeria (@NGRPresident) August 25, 2017
Fayose was instead at the palace of the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adejugbe, were he was installed as the Apesin (Apagun P’ote) of Ado-Ekiti by the
His Gombe State counterpart, Ibrahim Dankwambo, was installed as the Akinmuagun.
Asked if Fayose was not invited for the State House meeting, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, told Qed.ng, “you should rather ask the governor.”
In a text message later sent to Qed.ng, media aide to the governor, Lere Olayinka, said: He (Fayose) is celebrating chieftaincy title given to him by the Ewi of Ado Ekiti today.
“Top dignitaries were invited and many have them have been here since yesterday.
“Remember also that there is no airport here in Ekiti and no regular flight in Akure.
“Tomorrow, there is Udiroko, a major festival in Ado Ekiti to which the governor is also committed.”
The governor himself later tweeted that he could not leave the Ekiti event for “the impromptu meeting with the President”.
There was no how I could have abandoned the people here in Ado Ekiti for the impromptu meeting with the President.
— Peter Ayodele Fayose (@GovAyoFayose) August 25, 2017
Fayose has been the most vocal opposition critic of the Buhari administration.
He claimed the President, who spent three months in Britain for medical treatment, was unfit to rule and that he had pictures of him on life support machine.
Speaking in Ekiti on Wednesday, Fayose said he stands by everything he said about Buhari who returned to Nigeria on Saturday.
“If not for our efforts, Buhari wouldn’t have returned now. He is sick and tired and even his physical appearance portrayed this and he needs to go home and rest.
“President Buhari was indeed in coma and one of those who visited him said his recovery is a miracle that shows that he was indeed very sick.
“Buhari is not old enough to be my father, my mother is older than Buhari, he cannot be my father, he can only be my uncle.
I am close to 60. I stand by all I have said about the President.”
