A former Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has charged the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, not to fail in his duty to tell President Bola Tinubu the truth at all times.
The former APC presidential aspirant argued that it is sometimes difficult for occupiers of the presidential villa and other public holders to know the true mood of Nigerians because they are often surrounded by praise singers.
Fayemi spoke at the public presentation of a book titled, ‘APC and transition politics’ in Abuja.
“The party leader should be the one to tell our President this is the feedback from the communities and constituencies out there. Not what he is hearing in the villa where he is locked out.
“All of us who hold public offices know how it can be. This book (APC and Transition Politics) should be a compulsory read for members of the National Working Committee at the national, state, local government and ward levels so that we can begin the rebuilding process of this organic party,” he said.
Continuing, Fayemi, a former chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, described the author, Salihu Lukman, as one of the most misunderstood party members, lamenting that he was always blamed every time the political activist got on the nerves of any governor during his time as Director-General of the forum.
According to him, those who are familiar with the erstwhile national vice chairman of APC for North West know that he has always been a ‘radical from his students union days.’
He however made a case for him saying such political characters are needed in every progressive platform to act as the conscience of the party.
Lukman appreciated the huge turnout of participants at the book presentation despite the wrong impression many party members have about him.
He said, “One of the driving forces for me was basically to stimulate discussion within the party and hopefully get the party leaders to own it and maybe mainstream it into the structures of the party.
“One of the things we were perhaps afraid of when planning the event was a situation where we end up talking to ourselves. This indeed reflected a lot in the presentations here, keeping the kind of image I know I have acquired for myself.
“That His Excellency, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje is now the National Chairman including all that Comrade Adams Oshiomole has reflected on, even after all I have canvassed publicly, is a clear demonstration of the fact that this party had a clear future. What is required is to try and give critical support to all our leaders so that they can revive all the structures of the party.
“Part of the issues we keep debating is the future of our children. Looking back at where we are coming from, we (parents) had it better than what our children are having now. We will continue to write and we will take all the advice given. We will remain who we are and we will try to serve the party to the best of our knowledge.”
The event attracted prominent political leaders such as former APC national chairmen, Adams Oshiomhole and Chief Bisi Akande; current helmsman of the party, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje; his national Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru; representative of former Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo; ex-Minister of State for Niger Delta Affairs, Chief Sharon Ikeazor; former presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu among others.
