Fayemi Promises New Dawn As He Joins Presidential Race

By Ayodele Oni

Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, on Wednesday formally declared his intention to contest for the office of the President in 2023 on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC).

The declaration, which took place in Abuja, was witnessed by his admirers from all parts of the country.

Dr Fayemi, Chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum, (NGF) promised to ensure youth empowerment and retool the Armed Forces and security agencies.

He also promised decentralisation for the government to be brought closer to the people.

He assured other aspirants that “I will adhere to the highest standards of decorum and decency.”

He promised to address Nigeria’s security challenge by leading the military on the frontline against bandits and terrorists.

“I offer myself as the leadership figure who is willing and primed to work with you, beloved compatriots, to launch and drive the hard work of surmounting difficult times, fostering trust, and building bridges with a view to carrying us in unity, equity, and justice into our new dawn of progress and prosperity.

“Hope such as I offer with my candidature is premised on a shared vision on which we can all agree, and for which we collectively strive, of a nation that is more confidently and uncompromisingly at one with itself, serving as home for all of us regardless of ethnicity, class, gender, age, disability, region or religion.

“It is a vision of a nation of multiple diversities in which each and every one of us can recognise ourselves in its fabric and workings as equal stakeholders and co-constructors, comlete with all the rights, freedoms, and duties provided under the constitution for citizens.

“The idea and ideal of Nigeria as home to all of us who are its children is one which we can all rally around as a starting point for the unfinished work of national greatness that must be taken to its next phase.

“To give full effect to this, concrete programmes of action will be launched in priority areas that will allow for a revamping of the credibility of the Nigerian state, the promotion and fulfillment of an enhanced social contract, and the rebirth of the national identity.

“We must build on recent successes in restoring our national planning system and statistical  capacity in order to open new, forward-looking approaches to development management that is research and data driven.

“This will form an integral part of the new elan that we will be bringing to governance as a whole, driven by a philosophy of efficient service delivery, the enthronement of a civic culture, and the encouragement of an  empowered citizenry to engage with public affairs understanding that it is the repository of power.

“As part of this commitment, a holistic approach to decentralisation will be embraced and institutionalised so that government and its services are brought closer to the people.

“Our programme of decentralisation will also feed into the goals of a stronger, more united, and stable Nigeria, outcomes which are not only good for our domestic prospects but which will also benefit West Africa, the rest of the African continent, and a troubled international multilateral system.”