Isaac Fayose, younger brother of former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose, has urged his elder brother to reject his appointment as Chairman of the Board of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), insisting the position is beneath his political stature.
Isaac made the appeal in a video shared on his Instagram page on Monday, shortly after the Presidency announced the appointment of Ayo Fayose alongside 25 others into the boards of 10 federal agencies and commissions.
According to a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Fayose was appointed Chairman of the REA Board. He will serve alongside Ahmadu Abubakar and Ilyasu Ibrahim Makinta as non-executive directors, while the agency’s Director-General, Abba Abubakar Aliyu, and three executive directors were retained.
Reacting to the development, Isaac argued that his brother deserved a more prominent national appointment than chairing a federal agency.
He said, “They said they gave my brother a DG, DG, not a minister, not ambassador.”
He added, “They said they gave him DG, head of parastatal, chairman of a committee. They no see give him minister, they no give him ambassador.”
Comparing the appointment to that of a former government critic, Isaac said, “Even Reno Omokri sef, they gave him ambassador. They couldn’t give my brother ambassador,” before asking, “So why just chairman of a parastatal?”
Isaac also linked the timing of the appointment to the recent visit of the presidential candidate of the National Democratic Coalition, Peter Obi, to his residence.
He said, “They gave my brother DG because Obi came on Saturday to visit me. So they said, no, we must enter that family.”
His remarks come days after he publicly described Obi as Nigeria’s “incoming president” during the opposition figure’s visit, despite earlier threatening to withdraw his support.
Isaac further recalled that his brother had always maintained he would not seek or accept political appointments after leaving office.
He said, “But my brother told me, Ayodele Peter Fayose, told me, ‘Isaac, when I’m leaving this government house, whenever I leave this government house, I will not be a minister, I will not be DG, I will not be senator, I will not be anything. I will face my business.’”
Describing the appointment as a “Greek gift,” Isaac questioned why it came at this stage.
He asked, “Why didn’t they give you appointment since? Why did they wait till Obi come?”
Expressing confidence that his brother would reject the offer, he said, “I know you will not take this. But if you take it, who am I? Who am I? Omo Oba.”
While congratulating Ayo Fayose, Isaac advised him to hand over the position to his son instead.
He said, “Congrats on your appointment. You better give your son. Please, don’t use that kind of appointment. You are too big for that. Afobaje ni e,” loosely translated as “you are a kingmaker.”
Beyond the appointment, Isaac also reiterated his confidence in the opposition’s chances in the 2027 general election.
He said, “I am ready to see it through. And I know what we have on ground in Nigeria today. Election, we have 62 per cent, total vote cast, free and fair, credible.”
Dismissing fears of election manipulation, he added, “I’m not scared… They are scared of what they don’t know.”
