Fayemi should quit APC if dissatisfied, says Basiru
The National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Ajibola Basiru, has asked former Ekiti State governor, Kayode Fayemi, to resign from the ruling party if he no longer believes in its ideals.
Basiru also warned that the APC could invoke disciplinary measures against Fayemi over alleged anti-party activities following his recent criticism of the party.
The APC chieftain accused Fayemi of conspiring with opposition elements to weaken the party ahead of the forthcoming Ekiti governorship election.
Fayemi, a founding member of the APC, had stated during an interview on “State Affairs with Edmund Obilo” that the party “is losing its bearing and vision.”
The former Minister of Solid Minerals Development also lamented what he described as the absence of debate and intellectualism within the ruling party.
He further criticised the adoption of consensus as the preferred option during party primaries across states, arguing that the method contradicts democratic principles.
Responding to Fayemi’s remarks, Basiru said the former governor’s conduct no longer reflected that of a loyal party member.
Speaking with Saturday PUNCH on Friday, Basiru said, “We believe that he (Fayemi) should be courageous enough to formally resign membership of the party he so much despise and he so much wish to collapse rather than playing ostrich.
“We urge him that since he so much despise the party and wish the party an implosion, he should go to where whatever he thinks his best idea can be ventilated.
“We wish him (Fayemi) the best of luck, but he should not stay within our party and be wishing us bad luck. He should go to another political party if he no longer believes the party he represents.
“Let him go and join another party. If he does not join another party, the APC will not hesitate to invoke disciplinary actions to sanction him for anti-party activities,” Basiru said.
The APC scribe argued that the timing of Fayemi’s criticism, when the party was preparing for its governorship primaries in Ekiti State, suggested an attempt to “demarket” the APC ahead of the election.
According to him, Fayemi should have explored the party’s internal dispute resolution channels if he had concerns about developments within the APC instead of criticising the party publicly.
Basiru also claimed that Fayemi’s remarks lent credence to an earlier claim by former Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi, that some APC members were collaborating with opposition forces against the ruling party.
“His (Fayemi) statement only further confirmed what Mr Rotimi Amaechi said that he was one of those people that conceded to form opposition against the APC.
“We also have it on good authority that him and some of his followers have been hobnobbing with opposition elements, particularly ahead of the Ekiti governorship election. Even at this time that the party is conducting its primaries and making preparations for the all important Ekiti governorship election, it only show a design to demarket the party ahead of that election,” Basiru added.
The APC National Secretary further defended the economic reforms introduced by President Bola Tinubu, including the removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of the naira, describing Fayemi’s criticism of the policies as “ill-informed or mischievous.”
Punch.