Fayemi’s Rejection Of APC Consensus Is Fake News, Says Aide

Chief Press Secretary to Ekiti State Governor and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) Mr Yinka Oyebode Friday night debunked stories making the rounds which misrepresented the views of the governor concerning the consensus reached on Senator Abdullahi Adamu as the consensus candidate for the chairmanship of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

According to Oyebode, the news story grossly misrepresented the views of the Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, who he said did not and will not reject the consensus arrangement President Muhammadu Buhari reached with governors ahead of the APC convention on Saturday.

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‘‘The general public is hereby notified that a news story in circulation with the above headline is a misrepresentation of the views of the Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi,’’ he said in a statement sighted by Prime Business Africa.

Oyebade stated that the NGF chairman in his remarks during a policy dialogue organised by the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) spoke about democracy in West Africa and democratic reversal in Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso and not about his party convention.

‘‘Dr Fayemi at a policy dialogue organised by the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) in Abuja on Thursday, was quoted as rejecting the consensus arrangement President Mohammed Buhari reached with the Governors ahead of the party’s convention,’’ Oyebode said.

‘‘It must be stated, however, that Governor Fayemi’s presentation at the event was about democracy in West Africa and democratic reversal in Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso and not about his party convention.

‘’For the avoidance of doubt, Governor Fayemi in response to a question from the audience accusing the President of imposing a Chairman on the party at the forthcoming convention, stated that the President’s priority was the unity of the party and he didn’t know about the President endorsing any candidate for Chairman. But that if indeed the President has expressed such a view, the President that he knows is a democrat and those who do not share the view may of course contest.

‘‘Governor Fayemi is well known as a leader not given to frivolous and distracting talk, he concluded.

Prime Business Africa reports that the ruling party’s journey to the March 26 National Convention in Abuja has been mired by controversy, horse-trading and unhealthy rivalry leading to removal and re-instatement of the Caretaker Committee Chairman Mai Mala Buni and Mr President at some point warning governors and members to refrain from back-stabbing and other vices.