Former Ekiti State governor Ayodele Fayose has disclosed that his wife stopped him from publicly insulting the late former President Muhammadu Buhari shortly after his death earlier this month.
Mr Fayose, known for his outspoken criticism of the Buhari administration, made the revelation during an appearance on Channels Television, on Friday.
“The people in Nigeria only praise the dead. When President Buhari died, I wanted to come out and abuse him, (but) my wife called me not to say so,” Fayose said.
The ex-governor reiterated his long-standing view that Buhari’s presidency did not yield positive results for Nigeria.
“Would you say Buhari performed? I’m not among those praising the dead. Don’t honour me when I die. When I die, I’m gone,” he added.
Fayose went on to draw a comparison between Buhari and President Bola Tinubu, describing the current leader as more accessible and responsive.
“He (Tinubu) is accessible. Was the former president accessible? A lot of things happened in those days but do you still find them in the system? He is not a perfect man, but we are not where we were,” he said.
According to him, Nigerians should manage their expectations, considering the state of the economy Tinubu inherited.
“Nigeria is a sick country; it will take heaven to pull it out at once. What miracle can anybody do in two years? The situation is critical, wide and deep. Tinubu inherited a very bad economy,” Fayose argued.
Fayose served as governor of Ekiti State from 2003 to 2006 and again from 2014 to 2018 under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Though he has since taken a more independent political stance, he remains a vocal figure in Nigeria’s political discourse.
Muhammadu Buhari, born in December 1942, first led Nigeria as military head of state between 1984 and 1985.
He returned to power as a democratically elected president in 2015 and served two terms, leaving office in May 2023.
He died in London on Sunday, July 13 at the age of 82.
