Competence Over Partisanship: Former Governor Ayodele Fayose Defends Support for President Tinubu at PDP National Convention

Former Governor Ayodele Fayose tells the PDP convention that supporting President Tinubu is about competence, not disloyalty. He argues capacity outweighs party lines.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 30, 2026, 4:19 AM EDT

Source: The information in this article was sourced from Naija News

Defending Cross-Party Support as Democratic Maturity

Former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose has sparked a fresh debate on political loyalty within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Speaking at the party’s national convention in Abuja on Sunday, Fayose offered a robust defense of his support for President Bola Tinubu, an APC leader, while maintaining his status as a PDP stalwart. He argued that the traditional expectation of absolute party loyalty is flawed when a party's candidate lacks the perceived "capacity" or "competence" to lead effectively. For Fayose, the decision to back a rival candidate is an act of democratic conscience rather than a betrayal of party principles.

The "Capacity" Argument: Quality Over Affiliation

Fayose challenged the audience to look beyond party logos when evaluating leadership. "We must not say because it’s our party member that must win when we know our party member has no capacity," he remarked. To illustrate his point, he posed a rhetorical comparison between Governor Seyi Makinde and "Asiwaju" (President Tinubu), suggesting that in the hierarchy of national leadership, certain figures possess a level of experience and reach that transcends partisan boundaries. This stance positions Fayose alongside other "G5" or "loyalist" factions who have prioritized strategic alliances over standard opposition politics.

National Identity and the "Ekiti First" Philosophy

A central theme of Fayose’s address was the hierarchy of identity. He maintained that a citizen's state and national identity should always supersede their political affiliation. "You are first an Ekiti man before you become a political party card bearer," he stated, highlighting a unique moment of regional unity where former governors of Ekiti have reportedly rallied behind the current administration for the state's benefit. This philosophy suggests that the ultimate goal of politics should be functional governance and regional development, rather than the perpetual pursuit of party dominance.