Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum and Ekiti state governor, Ayodele Fayose on Thursday, confirmed that he would contest for the office of the presidency, come 2019 general election.

The incumbent governor of Ekiti made the confirmation at Chelsea hotel in Abuja, where he reaffirmed his determination to defeat President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2019 general election.

The governor said he remained the best person to defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) at the polls.

Governor Fayose claimed he had the strength, knowledge and ‎mental capacity to run the affairs of the country if given the mandate.

“They said they zoned the ticket to the north, I challenge our brothers from the north for a contest in the field,” he said.

The Thursday’s ceremony held at Chelsea hotel, had in attendance the former minister of aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, Senator Iyiola Omisore and other party members.

Meanwhile, in few hours after Fayose’s declaration, the Ekiti state commissioner of finance, Toyin Ojo, and the accountant general, Yemisi Owolabi, were on Thursday, arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Although, governor Fayose had reacted to their arrests, the anti-graft agency had said their arrest was followed after their alleged refusal to honour previous invitations for interrogation.

“They were picked up today following their refusal to honour previous invitations for interrogation in relation to pending investigation on the misuse of bailout funds by the Ayodele Fayose administration,” the EFCC said in a statement.

Report by Godday Akoh