Former Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi has warned that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has derailed from its original purpose, pointing to a severe lack of intellectualism and internal debate within the ruling party.
Speaking on the program ‘State Affairs with Edmund Obilo’, the former Minister of Solid Minerals Development expressed deep concern over the party’s current trajectory.
Fayemi, a founding member of the APC, noted that he recently voiced these same anxieties during the party’s South-West conference in Lagos.
“This is not where the party has come from. We have lost our bearing and the vision of the founding fathers of this party,” he said.
He warned that bypassing competitive elections in favor of handpicked agreements creates deep-seated resentment among party members.
Those who don’t get consensus won’t be happy… and you’re waiting for an implosion.”
When questioned about President Bola Tinubu’s role—specifically whether the President’s leadership style amounts to the imposition of candidates—Fayemi disagreed with that characterization.
While acknowledging Tinubu as a founding father of the APC, he suggested the President is simply consumed by the immense pressures of governing the nation.
Regarding why party members consistently defer to the President’s choices, Fayemi remarked:
“Maybe they just agree with him.”
However, he issued a stern warning against the growing culture of party loyalists rushing to the presidential villa for political favors and endorsements, stating that this trend threatens the party’s stability.
“It would be unfortunate if everybody is running to Aso Rock because they want something,” he warned.
