Fayemi clarifies aide’s comment on barring presidential aspirants above 60 years

Ekiti State Governor and Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), Dr. Kayode Fayemi, yesterday, distanced himself from a statement by one of his aides to the fact that Nigerians should reject any presidential aspirants above 60 years.

Reacting through his Chief Press Secretary, Yinka Oyebode, Fayemi said the aide, Mr. Makinde Araoye, who made the statement during a National Youth Summit and Conference organised by the Nigerian Youth Congress (NYC) in Abuja on Thursday, spoke in his personal capacity at the event “and not representative of Fayemi’s position.

“As a matter of fact, the view is in conflict with Fayemi’s well known position on political participation. He is one of the leaders of his party that is not fixated about zoning of presidential and other elective positions.

“Fayemi is on record to have stated repeatedly and unequivocally that nobody should be discriminated against by virtue of age, where they come from, religious affiliation or cultural background and believes the electorate, rather than any artificial impediment, should determine who gets their mandate as President, Governor or other elective positions.

“It is surprising that the media reports credited to Araoye failed to take cognizant that at the onset of his presentation at the event, the aide clarified that he was speaking in his personal capacity and so couldn’t be speaking the mind of the governor.”

The statement enjoined the public to disregard the statement, which was inadvertently credited to Fayemi, saying: “The governor, as a leader and public office holder, believes in fairness and equity and is a firm believer in constitutionalism and constitutional provisions regarding elections and aspiration to public offices in the country.

“Above all, Fayemi does not believe that age is necessarily a factor for performance in public office and as a leader, he comports himself in a manner befitting the office he holds and does not engage in frivolous and divisive talk.”

Meanwhile, the wife of the governor, Mrs. Bisi Fayemi, has enrolled 40 junior officers in the Ekiti State Civil Service for the remedial programme of the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) to improve their career development.

The programme would allow the workers selected from all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to undergo three-month training and sit for the NABTEB examination in May/June.

Mrs. Fayemi, who flagged off the programme at the Conference Hall of Adunni Olayinka Women Centre in Ado-Ekiti, urged government to invest more in workers’ capacity building in the public service to facilitate the development of the country.

She urged the workers to see the training as an opportunity to reshape their future and become leaders in their respective workspace.