Buhari meets Osinbajo, Saraki, 4 Govs.; Receives Fayemi; ‘I’ll probe Fayose’s administration, says Ekiti Gov.-elect

By Ismaila Chafe

President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday met behind closed doors with Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President Bukola Saraki and four All Progressives Congress (APC) governors at the State House, Abuja.

The APC governors at the meeting included Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi, Aminu Masari of Katsina, Abdul Aziz Yari of Zamfara and Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun.

Ekiti Governor-elect, Dr Kayode Fayemi, also attended the meeting which lasted for about 45 minutes.

When asked the purpose and outcome of the meeting, Saraki and the governors declined comments.

Meanwhile, Ekiti state governor-elect, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has said that it will be irresponsible on his part not to probe the administration of the out-going governor of the state, Ayo Fayose.

Fayemi said this on Thursday when he fielded questions from State House correspondents after a closed door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

According to him, his administration will examine what transpired in the last four years in Ekiti state including the failure of the Fayose-led administration to pay workers’ salaries.

“Well, l think we need to remove this election from personalities.

“This was an election that we fought on issues.

“And it will be irresponsible on my part to come here and say that we will not examine what transpired in the last four years in the manner of government.

“What was received in Ekiti State and the expenditures in that period? Why were we not able to pay salaries in the state?

“These issues should be examined in the interest of good governance.

“It is not about probing Fayose or probing Eleka or probing anybody.

“It is about not repeating the mistakes of the past and giving our people good governance and how to do so will also involve looking at what transpired in the last four years,’’ he said.

On the allegation of vote-buying during last Saturday’s Ekiti governorship election, Fayemi said there was no evidence to justify such an allegation.

He said: “I haven’t any substantive evidence of allegations of vote-buying and intimidation.

“In the place where l voted, there was no vote-buying anywhere. As far as our party is concerned, we did not engage in that, it is not our style.

“We won the election fair and square and it was an election that we fought on issues and not on the basis of any vote-buying.

“So, whoever has any evidence of that should present it to an independently verifiable audience,’’ he said.

Fayemi, a former Minister of Mines and Steel Development and former governor of the state, was on Sunday declared winner of the election by Prof. Idowu Olayinka, the Chief Returning Officer for the poll.

Olayinka, who is the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, announced that Fayemi polled 197,459 votes to emerge winner, to defeat the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, who scored 178,121 votes.