The minister mistakenly 'campaigned' for the opposition PDP during an APC rally on Tuesday.
Party leaders of the All Progressives' Congress (APC), including President Muhammadu Buhari, were left in fits of laughter when Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige, hilariously goofed and urged Ekiti State voters to re-elect state governor, Ayodele Fayose, in the state's July 14 gubernatorial election.
Fayose, a member of the opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP) will not be contesting in the election as he approaches the end of his second term as governor, but that did not stop Ngige from urging voters to bring him back because he's done well for the state.
This happened at the APC mega rally for Dr Kayode Fayemi, the party's candidate in the July 14 election, in Ado Ekiti, the state capital, on Tuesday, July 10, 2018.
He said, "Mr President, the leaders of our party, our people of Ekiti are ready and on Saturday, it will happen.
"We thank the leaders of our party, especially those of the southwest for forgiving the Ekiti people for the mistake they made in 2014. They won't make that mistake again.
"If you marry two wives, you go know which one born better. *Fayose is the better wife. E dey cook, e dey give husband food, e no dey give am trouble. So you must bring back *Fayose on Saturday."
Party leaders, including President Buhari, national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, national leader, Bola Tinubu, and APC governors at the rally, found the minister's goof funny as they laughed at his expense.
Obviously confused by the similarity in the pronunciation of Fayemi and Fayose, the minister was quickly corrected and he apologised to the crowd.
"Fayemi sorry. Una go bring Fayemi back on Saturday. Sorry o. Abeg make una pardon me. Na Fayemi. JKF, he's the man," he said amid fits of laughter himself.
The opposition PDP did not waste any time to publish an abridged version of the video on its Twitter account (@OfficialPDPNig) declaring that Ngige 'campaigned' for the party.
APC vs PDP in Ekiti election
Fayemi was Ekiti State governor between 2010 and 2014 before he was defeated by Ayodele Fayose during his re-election attempt.
The July 14 election is expected to be a straight battle between Fayemi and and Fayose's deputy, Prof. Kolapo Olusola of the PDP.