Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State on Tuesday met with his Ondo state counterpart Rotimi Akeredolu, on his 2023 presidential ambition.
Speaking with reporters after the meeting, Fayemi said he came to seek Akeredolu’s counsel and advice before joining the presidential race.
Fayemi stated that he has the requisite experience to address the enormity and the complexity of the challenges in the country and offer a fresh perspective on how to take the country forward.
The governor added that he was still consulting with party stakeholders and associates before announcing his 2023 presidential bid.
The chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, however, said had yet to decide whether or not to join the presidential race.
He said, “As I come to this process with an extensive wealth of experience and as someone who has always been involved in the struggle to right wrong in our country either as a student union activist or as a pro-democracy activist.
“As a leading light in the civil society movement and subsequently as governor, minister, chairman of all the governors in Nigeria, I believe I have the requisite experience to understand the enormity and the complexity of the Nigerian challenge and offer a fresh perspective on how to take the country forward.
“Our country has witnessed significant developments, we have made a lot of strides under President Muhammadu Buhari but the job is not yet finished. The job still has additional aspects to be addressed. And Nigerians will want somebody with experience, knowledge, competence, capacity, energy, and above all courage.
“Someone with the courage to do what is right and that is what has brought me in consultation to Ondo State. You of course know that I’m from Ondo State, there is no debate about that. Yes, there may be seclusion for administrative convenience between Ondo and Ekiti states, but we are one.
“I have been involved alongside my brother in the struggle for a better western Nigeria and a better Nigeria and many of the things we have done have demonstrated that our love for Nigeria is not to the detriment of our own people. For us, in western Nigeria, we believe in equity, fairness, and justice. We believe in those things that would make Nigeria a better place regardless of where any of us may come from.”
The Ekiti governor stated that he has a responsibility to be a unifier and bridge-builder, adding that his experience as the NGF chairman makes him the best candidate to tackle the challenges facing the nation.
He added: “I have that responsibility to be a bridge-builder. That is the role I played as the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum. If you follow closely, you will see me in all parts of this country trying to douse one fire or the other, trying to complement the efforts of my brothers — the governors in all those different parts.
“And that has given me greater insight into the challenges that our people are experiencing and of course greater knowledge of the peculiarities of different communities and constituencies in order to be able to apply myself and the knowledge and the contact that I have across the length and breadth of our country and globally.
“That is why I’m in Ondo State to consult with Mr. Governor and to seek his wise counsel on this journey. As you know, I’m not an aspirant, I may become one but that would depend on the totality of the consultation that I’m currently conducting.”
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