Fayose Formally Announces Bid For The Presidency

Peter Ayodele Fayose, the governor of Ekiti State has formally launched his bid to be the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential candidate at an Abuja hotel.

The 56-year-old has been one of the most outspoken critics of President Muhammadu Buhari and his ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) party.

“This is to inform you formally that I will seek to contest the 2019 presidential election,” he said in a speech.

“I am confident that with your support as my party leaders and supporters, I will defeat the incumbent president… in a free and fair election.”

But Fayose could face an uphill battle for the PDP nomination as the party has said its presidential candidate for the  February 16, 2019 presidential election will be from the Muslim-majority north.

Many PDP lawmakers quit the party before the 2015 election because then-president Goodluck Jonathan reneged on an apparent promise to step down for a northern candidate.

No obvious candidate from the north has yet emerged but there has been speculations that northeasterner and former vice-president Atiku Abubakar could leave the APC and rejoin the PDP.

He has made several previous bids for the presidency.