What does Fayose do now that PDP has rejected him?

The PDP's position on a Fayose presidency is likely to set off some tense moments within Nigeria's biggest opposition party in the next couple of weeks.

As everyone now knows, Fayose has flagged off his presidential campaign, two years before a vote is cast in anger.

At the last non-elective convention of the PDP in Abuja, Fayose had his campaign posters flying all over the place. He also had a crowd of loyalists wearing his campaign colours, marching and chanting behind him. No one does it like Fayose.

But the party on whose ticket he became Governor, is having none of it.

According to Dayo Adeyeye who is the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Fayose should really know better.

“The highest organ of the party, which is the national convention, zoned the presidential ticket of the PDP to the North. That has not changed. The same national convention zoned the position of the national chairman to the South. The convention has yet to change any of these two”, said Adeyeye who also wondered why Fayose is so insistent on going against his party’s position.

“That (national convention) is the supreme organ of the party. Those decisions are binding on all members of the party. Nobody can alter these decisions.

“The Governor is a member of the party and was at the convention where these decisions were taken. As a leader of the party, one expected the Governor to respect the party and its decisions. If someone in such an office is breaking the decisions of the party, what do you expect from the rank and file?”

But Fayose isn’t listening. The Governor isn't one to care what trampling on organisational decisions does to anyone. He's Fayose and he loves to do things his way.

In a statement he sent to Pulse, Fayose insisted he’s Nigeria’s next president.

“I’m going straight to that Villa. I’m the next president,” Fayose declared.

“I have a penchant for taking powers; that one in hand, I will take it.”

Fayose also said his presidential ambition supersedes the decision of the party on zoning. He made that abundantly clear to leaders of his party.

“It is with a deep sense of responsibility that I write to inform you of my intention to seek the ticket/mandate of our party to contest the 2019 presidential election.

“Considering your support and commitment towards our great party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), it becomes imperative to keep you informed and seek your support.

“This ambition, however, is without prejudice to our party’s position but in the overall interest of the party and our country.

“I urge that all hands should be on deck to ensure victory at the 2019 presidential election.

“Accept the assurances of my highest regards as a determined presidential hopeful,”Fayose wrote.

Fayose is widely known as the kind of man to rock a boat. Going against the grain is his default setting. This standoff with his political party is Fayose staying true to character.

ALSO READ: 5 reasons why Fayose should become president

But let’s face it, he won’t get the PDP presidential ticket in 2019 or in the nearest future for that matter. He remains unelectable on a national scale and the PDP will pick 10 northerners to fly its presidential flag in 2019 before Fayose even gets a look-in.

The permutation within the PDP is to get a northerner with some national appeal to slug it out with Buhari, for instance. At this time, Atiku Abubakar appears to be that man. The smart money is on Atiku defecting to the PDP just before the general elections in a bid to realising a lifelong ambition.

To realise his own burning ambition, will Fayose dump the PDP? That’s unlikely as he isn’t going to win a national election on the platform of a smaller political party either.

The PDP now has two options before it: Keep Fayose quiet by placating him and asking him to bury his presidential ambition, or allow him run amok like the loose cannon that he is. With the latter option, he’ll keep on with the bluster that may or may not hurt the PDP in the longer run, depending on how well the cards are played.

Either way, Fayose will soon run out of steam and bury his presidential ambition for good. He may just be playing to the gallery for all we know.

He’s got a big mouth on his neck, make no mistakes. But verbosity and a foul mouth are never enough to win anyone a nationwide vote except of course you are Donald Trump.

And Trumps arrive our planet once in centuries.