All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates who do not share President Muhammadu Buhari’s view of consensus candidates at the party’s National Convention holding in Abuja tomorrow, Saturday, March 26, 2022, “may of course contest”. This is according to the Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, who doubles as the Chairman of the Nigria Governors’ Forum (NGF).

Fayemi’s spokesman Yinka Oyebode disclosed this on Thursday night while reacting to a news story in circulation quoted Fayemi as opposing President Buhari on the issue of consensus candidature.

Describing the news report as “a misrepresentation” of the governor’s views, Oyebode said in a statement: “Dr Fayemi at a policy dialogue organised by the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) in Abuja on Thursday, was quoted as rejecting the consensus arrangement President Mohammed Buhari reached with the Governors ahead of the party’s convention.

“It must be stated, however, that Governor Fayemi’s presentation at the event was about democracy in West Africa and democratic reversal in Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso and not about his party convention.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Governor Fayemi in response to a question from the audience accusing the President of imposing a Chairman on the party at the forthcoming convention, stated that the President's priority was the unity of the party and he didn’t know about the President endorsing any candidate for Chairman. But that if indeed the President has expressed such a view, the President that he knows is a democrat and those who do not share the view may of course contest.

“Governor Fayemi is well known as a leader not given to frivolous and distracting talk.”