The Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose, has said former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, should submit himself for investigations by the Muhammadu Buhari government, instead of acting as if he was being persecuted by the federal government.

Mr Fayose spoke on Saturday in reaction to the Mr Obasanjo’s claims that the government was planning to arrest and detain him following his anti-government statements.

Mr Obasanjo had also claimed that the government had placed him on its watch list, raising the alarm that his life was no longer safe.

But Mr Fayose said the former president should “take his current travails in his strides.”

The governor also said Mr Obasanjo could not make his predicament a Yoruba issue, adding that it was good that he was being served the “goodies” of the Buhari administration, since he promoted his candidature in the 2015 elections.

“To me, former President Obasanjo should submit himself for probe and trial,” said Mr Fayose.

“He gave us the impression that he is a brave man who is not afraid of anything. He is a retired general in the army who has seen a lot and should not be raising alarms now.

“Obasanjo said Buhari was the best for Nigeria while promoting him for the 2015 general elections.

“In his book ‘Under My Watch’, Obasanjo said he prefers to be jailed by Buhari rather than former President Goodluck Jonathan being re-elected into office. Now prison is beckoning on him and he wants to dodge.

“He set up the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and among others.

“Obasanjo even used those bodies to hound and lock up many people including state governors, why is he now afraid of being probed. Let him tell Nigerians how he made his money.

“People can recollect the level he was before he became president and how he left office. If Buhari is now telling the whole world that Obasanjo stole money, it is incumbent on Obasanjo to prove his innocence.

“Moreover, Obasanjo should stop giving the impression that he is the leader of the Yoruba people. He is not. We have more eminent people who qualify to be our leaders.

“And he should also not try and sell any dummy that his travails are that of Yoruba people. I have been tried a number of times by the EFCC and faced the challenges as a man. He should also do so.

“In fact, I am laughing at the whole scenario. That Obasanjo could cry out. I didn’t know he can act like a woman. It is amazing that he is behaving this way. If he has anything to clarify, let him do that.”

Mr Fayose also described Messrs Obasanjo and Buhari as analogue leaders, who should step aside and allow the younger generation to take over the stage.

He argued that his criticisms of Mr Buhari were done in good faith, adding that some people failed to heed his admonition that “whoever brings and rides a tiger may end up in its belly.”

Mr Fayose’s battle with the former president has refused to end with the governor seizing every opportunity to hit back at Mr Obasanjo.

Mr Fayose was impeached in 2006 for alleged corruption, an ouster believed to have been orchestrated by the Obasanjo federal government.

He later got his impeachment quashed by the Supreme Court.

Lalasticlala, Mynd44