2023: Fayemi Debunks Presidential Ambition, Pledges Support To Tinubu

By Akinwale Kasali

…Denies Endorsing Oyebanji To Succeed Him As Governor

For months, speculations that Ekiti State Governor, John Kayode Fayemi, is nursing the ambition to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari come 2023 have been.

To further strengthen the rumour, members of his Cabinet had gone ahead to print posters and billboards campaigning for the Governor to contest for the Top seat in 2023.

But Fayemi has denied such ambition. He said he had never nursed the ambition of becoming President of Nigeria. And to confirm this, he has endorsed the aspiration of his political mentor and All Progressives Congress, APC, National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who has declared his interest in running for the top seat in 2023.

It would be recalled that Fayemi had earlier laid to rest the speculation on Wednesday, 12th, January, 2022 during his visit to the Former Lagos State Governor’s residence in Lagos.

Fayemi also pledged his loyalty and support towards the actualization of the presidential aspiration of Asiwaju Tinubu.

The Ekiti State Governor had assured Tinubu of mobilising adequate support for him across the entire South-west and promised to ensure the rallying of a formidable front for the Southwest geo-political zone to enable the clinching of the party’s presidential ticket by Asiwaju Tinubu.

But not a few people have put a lie to Fayemi’s denial of a Presidential aspiration come 2023. A source close to him told this magazine: “If he changed his mind, it must be of recent. He has been nursing the idea, and praying that his Governor-colleagues would support his aspiration. He was hoping that Tinubu and Vice President Osinbajo, who has not declared his interest yet, would cancel each other out. Perhaps, he has seen he would make no headway, hence his support of Tinubu.”

As regards the Governorship Election in Ekiti State, Fayemi vehemently denied the speculation that he has anointed the immediate past Secretary to his Government, Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji as the party’s Governorship candidate in the forthcoming polls in the State.

He assured there would be a level playing field for all aspirants vying to succeed him as Governor of the State, adding that the party is prepared to field the most popular candidate who emerges at the party Governorship primaries on January 27, 2022