Fayemi, Another Tinubu’s Political Godson Challenges Him

By Gideon Njoku

The number of the political godsons  of the Lagos State strongman, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, abandoning him, is increasing. They are exerting their independence from his political empire, and charting their own course.

The urbane Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has just thrown his hat into the Presidential ring, come 2023. Fayemi has, for months, been consulting on the viability of his aspiration.

On May 4, 2022, Fayemi will declare his ambition to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023. Venue is the Congress Hall of the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.

He has termed his declaration UNFOLDING THE AGENDA

Fayemi is believed to have been, strongly, backed by Tinubu during his first term as Governor. He was, however, defeated by PDP’s Ayo Fayose in his second term bid. But he made a come-back in 2019 when he roundly defeated the candidate of the PDP, sponsored by Fayose.

Speculations are that he did not quite have Tinubu’s backing for his second term, and since then, their relationship has gradually become weak.

Fayose is the third Tinubu’s political godson who has openly challenged him. The first was the Minister for Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, who pleaded God’s wrath upon Tinubu.

The second was Vice President Yemi Osinbajo who declared interest in the 2023 Presidential election after Tinubu had declared his own interest in same office.\

And, now, Fayemi.

There is no doubt that these declarations will have an effect on the number of delegates Tinubu thought he had in the bag.

For the records, Fayemi is the Chairman of the influential Nigeria Governors Forum. If his colleagues, especially, in the  APC  back him, he could make more impact than expected at the APC Presidential Primary.