As NGF Chair, ‘I’m Duty Bound To Be Apolitical’ – Fayemi Explains Why He Stayed Off Edo APC Guber Campaign

The Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), and Ekiti state Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi who had been under attack for not appearing in any of the All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign in the just concluded governorship election in Edo state, has given reason why he stayed off.

BIGPEN reports that Fayemi had come under seething attack on the social media and from his home state where he is being accused of anti-party following his ‘no show’ throughout the governorship campaign of the APC in Edo state.

Specifically, some stakeholders in Etiki had alleged that Governor Fayemi secretly worked and supported Godwin Obaseki, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the just concluded Edo State elections.

In the election, Obaseki polled a total of 307, 955 votes to defeat All Progressives Congress (APC)’s Osagie Ize-Iyamu who got 223, 619 votes, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The Ekiti APC stakeholders in one of their statement said; “A curious process is taking place in the Ekiti State branch of our progressive party. Our governor and the chairman of Nigeria’s Governors Forum, Dr Kayode Fayemi, after installing the governor of Edo State in a clear case of anti party, is bent on expelling leaders of the party.

“Towards achieving this purpose he (Fayemi) has set up a committee of his adulators to put us on trial in a predetermined process. The committee is chairmanned by one Mr Ajigbolamu who recently left the PDP to join our party. We also know that the affairs of the committee is managed by the office of the Attorney General Mr Wale Fapounda, his anointed for the position of governor when his term is over in 2022.”

But reaction to the allegations, Fayemi noted that campaigning for APC during the election would have amounted to campaigning against his colleague, Governor Godwin Obaseki who ran on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Speaking with journalists in Lagos at the weekend, Fayemi said he could not campaign for the APC in the election because his role as chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum does not allow him to campaign against any sitting governor who is seeking reelection.

He said those who are allowed to do so are the chairmen of the APC Governors Forum headed by Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi and Aminu Tambuwal who is the chairman of the PDP Governors Forum.

“I have been accused for example that I was not seen in Edo campaigning for my party or jumping around the rostrum. That is true. One, I have COVID-19 around that time and two, there is`a golden, unspoken rule in the Nigerian Governors Forum which is, the chairman of the Governors Forum does not campaign against a sitting governor”.

“Most people don’t know this but the chairman of the NGF can never campaign against a sitting governor running for election anywhere because my job is to protect, defend and to support a sitting governor whether of PDP, APC or APGA”.

“But the partisan forums, they have no apology about that. The job of Bagudu is to go and campaign for any APC governor running for office and it is the job of Tambuwal to do that for PDP governors. The NGF is about interest or issues that affect governors collectively”.

On how he has been successfully managing the affairs of the NGF, he said, “I don’t want to lay claim to having any extraordinary powers. But don’t forget, in the recent history of the Nigerian Governors Forum, I am probably the only chairman that has emerged by consensus”.

“There was no vote. PDP and APC governors agreed that I should be the chairman of the governors forum. PDP governors passionately pushed it as much as APC governors pushed it. So, even those who have it in mind that they will like to run, they immediately backed down”.

“I think that speaks to not just relationship building but also the focus of NGF itself. We are not a partisan body. We have our partisan forum. If you want to discuss partisanship, you go to Atiku Bagudu and Aminu Tambuwal. They are the chairmen of APC and PDP Governors Forum. I go there but I play a low-key role there” he said.