Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has finally broken his silence on his speculated governorship ambition in Ekiti State by saying he would run for the state’s number one seat in the 2018 governorship poll.
Fayemi, however, stated that he would visit the state secretariat of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), to officially declared intent anytime from April 14.
He said the official declaration would come once the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), lifts the ban on open campaign ahead of the Ekiti governorship poll.
Fayemi, who was in office between October 2010 and October 2014 said his joining the governorship race was not debatable but he would not want to flout the law by declaring intent to contest when INEC was yet to blow the whistle for the race to start.
The former governor who addressed a briefing on his ambition at his Isan-Ekiti country home on Sunday said everything constitutionally, legally and legitimately possible would be done to ensure an APC victory at the forthcoming governorship poll.
Fayemi said: “Do you need a rocket scientist to tell you that I am running? I was very clear that I am a process person, I am not going to jump the gun because there are rules and guidelines for electioneering.
“The body that is responsible for that has stated the obvious when you can actually start campaign. The fact that people are actually flouting the guidelines is a fault of INEC and INEC is not taking them up on it.
“That is my own attitude to it and at appropriate time, I will tell my party because this is purely a party matter, it is not a public matter yet.
“So, I don’t really understand the level of curiosity whether I am running or I am not running. I am very clear that what we have in this state today is not what this state deserves.
“I have always been very clear that whatever it takes constitutionally, legally and legitimately to pout our party in office in October 2018, we will do as a party.
“I have also gone ahead to say the meeting held on Saturday is our usual gathering; it is not a place to declare the intention to run but as to whether I am running or not, I am running.
“That is not debatable but I am a process person, I am not going to flout the law. You will know, you will all be invited when I decide to formally declare within the ambit of the guideline issued by INEC.”
NAN reports that the Minister had earlier hosted party leaders from ward to state levels to a quarterly meeting on Saturday but did not publicly declare intent to run for governor at the gathering contrary to widespread speculations.
At the meeting, Fayemi said he had learnt his lessons following the loss of power to Governor Ayo Fayose in the 2014 governorship election.