Former Governor of Ekiti State and Minister of Solid Minerals, Kayode Fayemi, has pooh-poohed a report currently trending in the social media, where he allegedly descended on former Governor of Lagos State, Ahmed Bola Tinubu.
Both Fayemi and Tinubu were footsoldiers of the defunct National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), which fought then Nigerian maximum despot, General Sani Abacha in the battle to revalidate the June 12, 1993 presidential election, won by the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola.
But recently, there had been speculations that the former Director of Radio Kudirat, is taking sides with President Muhammadu Buhari, in his alleged political war with Tinubu, who was equally exiled during the Abacha years, for his advocacy for the re-validation of the Abiola mandate.
Buhari and Tinubu are said to endure a frosty relationship since the latter allegedly got the short end of the stick in the All Progressives Congress (APC), despite his singular efforts in making the former President and Fayemi reportedly sides with the President for sundry reasons, including an alleged sabotage of Tinubu against his (Fayemi’s) second term bid, in 2014 as Ekiti governor, which he lost to the incumbent, Ayo Fayose.
The alleged comments of Fayemi, running on various platforms in the social media, incidentally, without a verifiable source, became the highpoint of the alleged discontent with the Asiwaju of Lagos.
The comments, the product of an alleged interview, reportedly granted by the Minister, Fayemi tried to cast the former Lagos governor in the mode of an insatiable and egocentric politicians, who was the architect of his own downfall, stating that time had come for him to be given his proper place in the politics of the land.
However, the Minister, in a statement signed by his spokesman, Olayinka Oyebode, dismissed the alleged interview as the handiwork of evil people trying to sow seeds of discord between the two friends and allies.
In the statement, entitled: Fayemi disowns story on Asiwaju Tinubu, the Minister, urged the general public to disregard the report with headline: “Tinubu as a leader is responsible for his misfortunes, says Fayemi.”
The statement added: “The highly mischievous and malicious report is nothing but a tissue of lies. It must be stressed that Dr Kayode Fayemi never granted any interview where he made disparaging comments about the person of our highly revered leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
“Dr Fayemi subscribes to the highest moral and ethical standard of the Yoruba and as such would not speak evil or seek to demean Asiwaju Tinubu or any of our respected leaders under no circumstance whatsoever.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Dr Fayemi has always held and will continue to hold Asiwaju Tinubu in high esteem.
“The bond that exists between them dates back to decades of cordial relationship and no peddler of falsehood or group of blackmailers hiding under the guise of politics can put asunder.”