Fayose's Brother Isaac Insists Ex-Governor Will Reject Tinubu's REA Chairmanship Appointment

Isaac Fayose, younger brother of former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose, has insisted that his brother will not accept his newly announced appointment as Chairman of the Board of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), describing the offer in dismissive terms as unworthy of the ex-governor's political standing.

Isaac made his position known in a Facebook post on Tuesday, reacting to a report that recalled Ayo Fayose's earlier declaration that he would rather remain at home than serve the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government. In the post, accompanied by laughing emojis, Isaac wrote that his brother would not be taking up what he called a "yeye appointment," using a Yoruba expression to convey that the former governor should not let it bother him.

This was not the first time Isaac had voiced displeasure over the appointment. In an earlier video shared on his Instagram page, he argued that his brother deserved a far more prominent role within the Tinubu administration than the chairmanship of a parastatal board. He pointed out that while Ayo Fayose had been offered the position of Director-General, he had not been considered for a ministerial slot or an ambassadorial posting, roles Isaac believes would better reflect his brother's political weight as a two-term governor.

Drawing a comparison to former presidential aide Reno Omokri, Isaac noted that even Omokri had been given an ambassadorial appointment, questioning why the same courtesy was not extended to his brother. For Isaac, limiting Ayo Fayose to a board chairmanship position amounted to an undervaluation of his political contributions and stature within Nigeria's political space.

Isaac went further to suggest that the timing and nature of the appointment may have been connected to a recent visit by former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi to his own residence. According to Isaac, the visit prompted moves within government circles to reach out to the Fayose family, though he framed the resulting offer as falling short of what his brother deserved. He also advised that if the appointment stands, his brother should consider handing the position over to one of his children rather than accepting it personally, insisting again that it did not match Ayo Fayose's political weight.

The appointment itself was announced on Monday, when President Bola Tinubu named Ayo Fayose as Chairman of the Board of the Rural Electrification Agency. The move formed part of a broader list of 26 appointments across the boards of 10 federal government agencies and commissions unveiled by the Presidency. According to the Presidency, all the appointments, including Fayose's, took immediate effect.

The appointment is notable given Fayose's previous public stance on serving under the current administration. Speaking on Channels Television's Politics Today programme in October 2025, Fayose had disclosed that President Tinubu personally offered him a position, which he turned down at the time. He recounted the exchange, stating that when asked what could be given to him, his response had simply been that he wanted nothing.

At the time, Fayose explained his decision by pointing to his age and his record in public service, noting that at 65, he preferred to focus on personal matters rather than take on new government responsibilities. He emphasized that having served two terms as governor, he felt he had already fulfilled his obligations to the public and preferred to let the future unfold on its own terms.

Despite that previous rejection, the Presidency's Monday announcement suggests a shift, at least on the government's side, with Fayose's name now formally listed among new appointees. Whether the former governor will follow through and accept the REA chairmanship, or align with his brother's public insistence that he reject it, remains to be seen, as neither the former governor himself nor his aides have issued a personal statement on the matter as of this report.

The development has already stirred conversation across social media and political circles, with reactions divided between those who see the appointment as recognition of Fayose's political relevance and others who share Isaac's view that it undersells his experience and standing within Nigerian politics.