For the second time in two days, former Head
of State Gen. Muhammadu Buhari yesterday slammed what he termed the Peoples
Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) misrule and assured all that Nigerians will next
year vote out the ruling party.
Gen. Buhari, who on Tuesday in Abuja
announced that he would seek the ticket of his All Progressives Congress (APC)
party to contest for president, said in Ado-Ekiti that Nigerians were tired of
the PDP and will next year end its misrule.
He was at the Ekiti State capital to
inaugurate the Ekiti Parapo Square, a 12,000-seater capacity pavilion built by
the outgoing Governor Kayode Fayemi administration.
The ceremony signals the begining of the
winding down of the Fayemi administration as Governor-elect Ayo Fayose will
take the saddle on October 16.
Apart from being the nation’s Independence
anniversary, yesterday was also the 18th anniversary of the creation of
Ekiti State. Twenty six distinguished indigenes were given State Merit Awards.
Gen Buhari urged the electorate to apply
their voter cards purposely to vote in a new regime of hope and progress.
At the event were Deputy Governor Prof.
Modupe Adelabu; former Governor Segun Oni; Speaker Adewale Omirin, Senator Sola
Adeyeye and State Chairman of the party Jide Awe.
There were also lawmakers, members of the
Executive Council; representatives of the army, the police, prisons,
immigration, and the Department of State Services (DSS).
Gen. Buhari said only the resolve of the
electorate could end what he called PDP’s misrule.
He said: “It is no doubt that Nigerians have
been traumatised under the PDP leadership and Nigeria will be in trouble if we
carry on the way the PDP has been doing in Nigeria.
“That is why it is important for the elite to
talk to the less-privileged to collect their permanent voter cards in
preparation for the 2015 elections. This is the only missile against the PDP
tyranny.
“We must take this seriously because the APC
is seriously determined to offer a better alternative platform for Nigerians.
So, we have to be prepared for next year’s elections.”
Gen. Buhari praised Fayemi for his success in
the last four years, which he noted reflected in the quality and grade of the
pavilion.
“I am indeed very happy to be part of this
success story. Fayemi has been able to prove that what is expected of any
leader is selfless service and I want to believe that all these legacy projects
will remain in his name forever”, Gen. Buhari said.
The governor urged the citizens to unite and
take ownership of the “Ekiti project” so that the state could continue to have
a “pool of achievers worthy of state, national and global recognition”.
“I therefore charge the good people of Ekiti
State to push the bounds of possibilities for our future by uniting more than
ever before to protect our heritage of honour as well as the modest
developmental gains we have made in recent years. We must celebrate today by
joining our hearts and minds in one accord, and decide to outgrow the teething
challenges of statehood, such as the arbitrariness we have witnessed in recent
times,” Fayemi said.
He described the State Merit Award as aimed
at restoring the values for which Ekiti people are known, to redeem “the
meaning of who our heroes are”.
Fayemi said it was incontrovertible
that Ekiti is the home of intellectuals, noting that one of the award
recipients, Dr. Hallowed Olaoluwa’s feat as Africa’s youngest Ph.D holder in
Mathematics at the age of 24, would spur the younger generation to undertake
the intellectual challenge with “avowed determination to surpass the academic
excellence already displayed by Olaoluwa”.
Fayemi added: “Today, we celebrate the 54th
anniversary of Nigeria’s Independence, as well as the 18th anniversary of the
creation of the land of honour, Ekiti State. We have therefore also found today
a most suitable day for us to hold this year’s edition of the Ekiti State Merit
Awards and Honours Roll as well as the official commissioning of this edifice –
the Ekiti Parapo Square – one of the legacy projects of this administration and
our foremost symbol of the heterogeneity and unity of the Ekiti people.
“The activities are all part of our
end-of-tenure programme of events which we have put in place to celebrate our
administration’s Legacy of Honour and Service – Aseyori Ifarasin Pelu Iyi.
“Today, our state comes of age. It has been
18 long years since our state was birthed on this day in 1996. We have gone
through an interesting past, with more than our fair share of unsavoury
episodes that have put us in bad light in the comity of states. But we have
also made considerable progress as a people. Certainly, we have fared better as
an autonomous state than when we were just a part of the old Ondo State.”
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