Minister notifies APC leaders, public on interest to run for Ekiti governorship

Dr Kayode Fayemi, Minister of Mines and Steel Development, has notified the national and state leaders of All Progressives Congress (APC) of his ambition to run for July 14, governorship election in Ekiti.

Mr Olayinka Oyebode, Special Assistant on Media to the minister, disclosed in a statement on Thursday in Abuja that letters had been written to elders of the party, prominent citizens and traditional rulers in Ekiti.

Fayemi, the immediate past Governor of Ekiti, in the letter, which he personally signed, also disclosed that his public declaration for the gubernatorial contest would come up at a rally in Ado-Ekiti on Saturday, April 14.

Some prominent names to which the letters were addressed include, National Chairman of APC, Chief John Oyegun, National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and former Interim National Chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande.

Others are, all traditional rulers in Ekiti State, his colleagues in the Federal Executive Council (FEC), former and serving governors elected on APC platform, as well as prominent sons and daughters of Ekiti.

The Minister had on April 2 hinted on his plan to run for the party’s ticket during the quarterly meeting of the Ekiti APC leaders at his Isan Ekiti country home.

Ahead of the Saturday’s public declaration, the Minister had undertaken a tour of the 16 local government areas of the state, where he held meetings with local government and ward executives among others.

Fayemi, in the letter, said his decision to join the governorship race was to join other patriots to rescue the state from the grip of the current insensitive and incompetent PDP-led administration.

He said that the PDP-led administration has plunged the state and its people into unimaginable misery and poverty.

“My mission in public life which has always cantered on transforming the material conditions of our people has always revolved around three imperatives.

“The three imperatives are breaking the yoke of ignorance keeping our people down; liberating them from ill-health and other limitations that restrained them from achieving their potentials.

“While the third one is breaking the stranglehold of poverty which keeps people from living full creative lives.

“In practical and policy terms, this for me has always meant prioritising social investments in education, healthcare and other social interventions that reduce the cost of living, while raising the quality of life,’’ he said.

According to him, public office is too serious to be left to charlatans.

He said when men and women of good conscience that are committed to the ideals of social justice and the common good turn away from politics, that pave way for unprincipled opportunists to take power.

“My convictions about how much more is possible in Ekiti stem not from any sense of entitlement but from a sense of service of obligation and posterity that positioned us for a time like this.

“There is much that we have to repair and redress in Ekiti before we can go forward.’’

The minister’s central message at various meetings during the tour dwelled on the need for all APC members to unite to successfully confront and defeat the incumbent PDP government in the state, come July 14.