Why Fayose Was Absent From PDP Reconciliation Meeting With Makinde

Former Governor of Ekiti State Ayodele Fayose was absent at a PDP reconciliation meeting held in Oyo State yesterday.

The meeting was supposed to reconcile him with Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State.

Presiding over the meeting at the Oyo State Government House was Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State.

When contacted on Thursday, Mr. Lere Olayinka, the media aide to Fayose said although the former governor wanted to attend the meeting, his loyalists said they would not sit on the same table with Makinde because of his utterances and actions.

“Fayose did not attend the meeting. Those invited from the other side said they were not going to be part of the meeting. They said they did not want to go to the Government House or sit on the same table with Governor Makinde,” Olayinka told Punch.

“The impression as at yesterday (Wednesday) was that the meeting would be shifted but I believe Governor Wike just came to attend it for formality sake.

“One thing is that nothing can be achieved without the other side at the meeting.”

However, Governor Wike also told journalists that all the leaders and stakeholders had agreed since Wednesday night to shelve the reconciliation meeting due to the absence of some other leaders due to logistics reasons.

He said he was around because he had already promised Governor Makinde of a visit but merely decided to respect some leaders from the region who were also in the state initially for a meeting.

He added the leaders also decided to postpone the meeting to a later date so as not to do a job that would be requiring another urgent meeting thereafter.

When asked on how soon peace should be expected back in the region, Wike said it would be presumptuous to give a definite timeframe due to the fact that all interest must be carried along and secure their commitment.

“We should not be in a hurry. Peace takes a lot of talking to people and you know in politics, you need to talk to people for people to understand.

“It is not something you see that because you met today, and because you are meeting tomorrow, everything must be resolved on that particular thing.

“Politics is of interest and so you need to make sure that everybody is fully involved. So, let us not be in a hurry to see when do you think.”