Kayode Fayemi Urges Inclusive Governance After APC Election Win

A former governor and prominent member of Nigeria’s ruling party has delivered a sweeping critique of its current state, describing its recent presidential victory as a minority win and calling for a fundamental shift toward inclusive governance. Dr. Kayode Fayemi, former governor of Ekiti State and a founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), made the remarks in a recent podcast interview.

Fayemi, who played a key role in President Bola Tinubu’s 2023 election, revealed he personally brokered the alliance that brought a group of five governors from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party into Tinubu’s campaign fold. He said he stepped aside for Tinubu during the APC primary due to their shared political history and then worked to secure his victory.

Reflecting on the election, Fayemi described the performance of Labour Party candidate Peter Obi as a political phenomenon that caught the APC off guard, acknowledging Obi as a formidable contestant. He characterized the APC’s own win as constitutionally valid but a “minority victory” in political science terms, noting the party secured roughly 36 percent of the total votes cast.

He argued that such a narrow mandate...