Fayemi’s meeting with Tinubu had nothing to do with presidential ambition —Gov’s aide

The recent meeting between Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi; and All Progressives Congress leader, Bola Tinubu, was a “family meeting of minds”, the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Yinka Oyebode, has said.

In a statement on Saturday, Oyebode said the meeting of his principal with Tinubu on January 12, 2022, had nothing to do with the presidential ambition or otherwise of either of the two political leaders.

According to the governor’s aide, viral details of the meeting are lies and conjectures, noting that the between Tinubu and Fayemi dates back to the dark years of military despotism and there is no big deal in the meeting.

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The statement was titled, ‘Re: Tinubu-Fayemi meeting: The spin doctors got it wrong’.

The statement partly read, “Meeting between the two leaders, dates as far back as their days in exile, when they were both involved in the struggle to wrest the country away from military jackboots, and has since been a regular occurrence both within and outside the country’s political space. So there should not be any big deal in seeing them meet, except someone has opted to create a mischief out of it.

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“While the details of their recent meeting remain undisclosed, seeing the two of them who are being rumoured as potential presidential aspirants from the southwest together may naturally give way to speculations that the 2023 presidential election could form part of their discussions.

“This may have been further fuelled by the fact that Asiwaju Tinubu said he had informed President Muhammadu Buhari that he would be coveting the presidential seat in 2023. Dr Fayemi on the other hand; has yet to give any visible sign in that direction.

“This, no doubt, is a reckless and untruthful spin. First, since the perpetrators were not present at the meeting and none of the leaders could have divulged what transpired, one wonders from where they got their narrative.

Continuing, the statement added, “Secondly, the spin doctors, were so consumed by their fictional hogwash that they could not consider it an impossibility for Fayemi to drop a rumoured, yet undeclared ambition, even when Asiwaju Tinubu said he was still consulting as to whether to run or not.

“The story by the spin doctors thus stands logic in the head and stands not only disclaimed but condemned. It must have been sourced from the rumour mill, or as a beer parlour gist. At its best, it is a mere conjecture.

“If and when Dr Fayemi chooses to declare his interest in running for the 2023 presidential ticket, he would not be embarking on an ego trip that would warrant going into unhealthy contest with Asiwaju Tinubu or anyone else. Fayemi sees Tinubu as his leader in politics and reserves respect for him as a national leader of his party. Neither will he run the race with the intention of using it to negotiate with anyone. Rather he will run because he is convinced it is desirable for him to do so.

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“Perhaps the spin doctors are unmindful of the fact that Fayemi currently remains focused on finishing strong and well the assignment in his hand as two-term governor of Ekiti State. They also fail to realise that there is still a sitting President equally focused on finishing well his second term in office. Neither Fayemi nor Buhari would like to be distracted by such inanity at this juncture.

“Should Dr Fayemi eventually choose to run in the 2023 Presidential race at all, he would not hide his intention to do so, neither will he involve himself in any clandestine meeting to discuss his chances, since he would have been x-rayed and classified among the preferred aspirants based on his credentials, even before he makes such declaration.

“The masterminds of such fable are therefore advised to desist from doing so any further as it will not give them any political or social mileage. Rather it will wreak serious havoc on their personality, without reducing the worth of either Asiwaju Tinubu or Governor Fayemi who are respectable and respected leaders in their own rights.”