Ekiti Governor says he's ready to dump PDP

Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose has threatened to dump the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), according to a story in

Punch quotes Fayose as saying he would renounce his “membership of the PDP anytime from now.”

The outgoing governor of Ekiti added that “after consultations, I will speak clearly to Nigerians.”

According to Punch, Fayose made the comments after the PDP concluded its national convention in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

Fayose once declared for president

The story didn’t say why Fayose, who has always spoken out for and defended the PDP, became suddenly disenchanted with his party.

Fayose was the first PDP member to declare for president ahead of the 2019 election. The governor declared he was going to run for president in September of 2017.

However, the PDP had always made it clear that it had zoned the presidency to the North of Nigeria. All of the PDP’s aspirants for the presidential flagbearer ticket ahead of the convention that was concluded last weekend, hailed from the country's North.

Fayose remained silent in the weeks leading to the convention and refused to publicly back any of the other aspirants.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar emerged winner of a primary contest that fieldedSenate President Bukola Saraki, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, Sokoto Governor Aminu Tambuwal, former Kaduna Governor Ahmed Makarfi and former Jigawa Governor Sule Lamido, among others.

An unfulfilled prophecy

At his official declaration for the presidency on Thursday, September 28, 2017, Fayose said his "haters" will watch him saunter into Aso Rock—Nigeria’s seat of power.

“To the downtrodden and those who go to bed hungry on a daily basis, I assure you that help is on the way," Fayose declared.

“To my haters, I want to tell them that they will watch me enter the Villa in 2019 because I’m Nigeria’s President in waiting.

“If you have not seen any miracle, this is your opportunity because I am a miracle”, he added.

Fayose will hand over the affairs of Ekiti to Kayode Fayemi of the APC on Tuesday, October 16, 2018; after failing to install protege, Olusola Eleka, as successor.

The governor has a N1.3billion fraud case to answer with the EFCC.