Ekiti Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has come out to debunk the raging rumour of his 2023 presidential ambition and pledged support for the National leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Fayemi laid the speculation to rest on Wednesday, 12th January 2022 during his visit to the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Fayemi also went ahead to pledge his loyalty and support towards the actualization of the presidential aspiration of Asiwaju Tinubu.
During the visit, Fayemi assured Tinubu of mobilising adequate support for Tinubu across the entire Southwest and promised to ensure the rallying of a formidable front for the South West geo-political zone to enable the clinching of the party’s presidential ticket by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
According to a source close to the APC National Leader, Fayemi denied the speculation that he has anointed the immediate past Secretary of his Government, Mr Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji as the party’s Governorship candidate for the forthcoming guber polls in the state.
Fayemi further assured Tinubu of a level playing field for all aspirants, adding that the party is prepared to field the most popular candidate who emerges at the party governorship primaries on 27th January 2022.
According to the source, Fayemi maintained that he remains committed to the party and would work towards the victory of the party in the 18th June 2022 Gubernatorial Election as well as the 2023 presidential election.
Before now there have been strong indications that Fayemi was planning to run for Presidency. All his trips around the country, especially to the North, were seen as consultation moves. His tenure as Ekiti Governor will end this year. He became the Governor of Ekiti State and has been in office since 16 October 2018. He previously served in office between 2010 and 2014 before losing re-election to Ayo Fayose. He was also the Minister of Solid Minerals Development in President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet from 11 November 2018 to 30 May 2018, when he resigned to contest for a second time as Governor of Ekiti State.
Born on 9 February 1965, he is a Yoruba native of Isan-Ekiti in the Oye Local Government of Ekiti State.
Fayemi attended Christ’s School Ado Ekiti from 1975 to 1980. He later went on to receive degrees in History, Politics and International Relations from the University of Lagos and the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University). From 1989 to 1992, he underwent a Doctorate program in War Studies from King’s College London, specializing in civil-military relations.
From 1985 to 1986, he was a Lecturer at the Nigeria-Police Training College in Sokoto. From 1987 to 1989 he was a Research Officer at Development & Management Consultants in Ikeja. From 1991 to 1993 he was a Research Officer at the African Research and Information Bureau in London. In 1992, he was a Tutorial Fellow at the War Studies Department at Kings College, London. From 1993 to 1995, he was the Strategy Development Adviser of Deptford City Challenge in London. From 1995 to 1997, he was the Secretary-General of the Media Empowerment for Africa (The Radio Foundation) in London. He was also a journalist with The Guardian and Tempo; and the Editor of Nigeria-Now, a defunct political monthly magazine. In 1997, Fayemi returned to Nigeria where he established the Centre for Democracy & Development, a research and training institution dedicated to the study and promotion of democratic development, peace-building and human security in Africa, where he served as Director from 1997 to 2006.
In 2007, Fayemi made his entry into politics by contesting for Governor of Ekiti State. After three and a half years fighting through the legal system, on 15 October 2010 the appeal court sitting in Kwara State declared Fayemi the duly elected Governor of Ekiti State and marked the end of Olusegun Oni’s administration as the then Governor of the state.
In April 2014, Fayemi was endorsed as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the state’s gubernatorial elections slated for 21 June 2014. The emergence of Fayemi was preceded by congress held before the governor who had no contestant was endorsed as the flag bearers of their state in the governorship elections. Kayode Fayemi was defeated at the polls on 21 June 2014 by the previous governor Ayodele Fayose.
Fayemi recontested for a second term as Ekiti State governor under the platform of the All Progressive Congress in the 14 July 2018 governorship election after resigning as the Minister of Solid Minerals Development. He was officially declared as the winner of the Governorship election in Ekiti State by the Independent National Electoral Commission on 15 July 2018. He won by 19,345 votes against the Peoples Democratic Party’s Kolapo Olusola Eleka who was second.
In October 2018, Fayemi was sworn in as Ekiti State governor for the second time. Fayemi was elected Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum. This announcement was made by the immediate past Chairman, Abdulaziz Yari. He said Fayemi was unanimously elected by the governors to lead the forum till 2021. One of the structures many felt Fayemi will use as a stepping stone was his popularity and influence among the Governors as their Chairman. But all that has been laid to rest.
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