THE Ekiti State Governor and Chairman, Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has said that his preoccupation at the moment was the task of governing Ekiti State and not the race for the Presidency.
Fayemi said he was alerted to a plot by some individuals and political interests in the All Progressives Congress to activate a spate of negative media campaigns to discredit and portray him as unacceptable to the generality of the people across the six geo-political zones of the country ahead of the 2023 presidential polls.
This was contained in a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Yinka Oyebode, titled, ‘Fresh plot to defame Gov Fayemi uncovered.’
It stated, “Some entrenched interests within the ruling APC, however, seem uncomfortable with the rising profile of the NGF chairman and have resorted to cheap blackmail aimed at de-marketing him”.
Oyebode, who advised those behind the plot to concentrate on their aspiration rather than engaging in character assassination, stated, “For the avoidance of doubt, Dr Fayemi has not told anyone that he is in the race for the Presidency of Nigeria.
“He has always maintained that he is on duty in Ekiti and would like to concentrate on that assignment. What he (Fayemi) does afterwards is in the hands of God and he will cross that bridge at the appropriate time
“The general public is hereby alerted to a fresh plot by some political interests to activate a spate of negative media campaigns against the person of Dr Fayemi. The plot, as uncovered, is to use some faceless political groups and political jobbers from different parts of the country to defame the Ekiti State Governor.
“We urge members of the public to disregard the potpourri of lies and cheap blackmail that could be released in the coming days, while the promoters of this smear campaign are advised to concentrate on marketing their aspiration to the good people of Nigeria without recourse to defamation or character assassination of perceived competitors.
“The Nigerian Constitution states clearly the qualifications for the position of the President of the country. Every qualified adult has the right to aspire to the number one position. Therefore, we do not believe it is proper, decent or strategic for any aspirant to think his campaign can only gather momentum when he destroys the reputation of a fellow citizen who is perceived as a possible opponent,” Oyebode stated.