Tinubu pays glowing tribute to Fayemi on 60th birthday

President Bola Tinubu has paid glowing tributes to the former Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, as he celebrates his 60th birthday.

In a long tribute dedicated to the All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, President Tinubu described Fayemi as a man who fought for democracy during its darkest years. He also praised the ex-governor’s pivotal role in the coming together of different parties to form the All Progressives Congress and his election as civilian president in 2015.

Tinubu hinted that civil rights and pro-democracy activists, especially those in exile, relied on their ingenuity to survive.

He noted Kayode’s brilliance, commitment, and strategic skills.

“My relationship with Dr Kayode Fayemi dates back to our time together in the pro-democracy movement in the 90s when we mounted local and international campaigns against military dictatorship.

“During the challenging General Sani Abacha era, civil rights and pro-democracy activists, especially those in exile, had to rely on their ingenuity to survive. Kayode’s brilliance, commitment, and strategic skills were invaluable to our cause,” Tinubu said.

The president revealed that the struggle for Chief MKO Abiola’s release from incarceration and the de-annulment of the June 12 election—then considered the freest and fairest in Nigeria—led to the constriction of the civic space by the military, who routinely raided and proscribed newspapers such as the Concord, Punch, Guardian, and magazines such as Tempo/TheNews and TELL.

“My relationship with Dr Kayode Fayemi dates back to our time together in the pro-democracy movement in the 90s when we mounted local and international campaigns against military dictatorship. During the challenging General Sani Abacha era,” he said.

Tinubu lauded Fayemi for his undeniable role in the actualisation of democracy radio, Radio Kudirat, named in honour of Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, who was murdered by agents of the Abacha regime.

“There was a need to have a radio station covering the activities of the pro-democracy movement at home and abroad, putting more significant pressure on the Abacha junta. Dr. Fayemi and other activists actualized the birth of the pro-democracy radio, Radio Kudirat, named in honour of Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, who was murdered by agents of the Abacha regime. The deaths of General Abacha and Chief Abiola in 1998 changed the course of events for all of us.

“The engagement strategy needed to be re-appraised. When General Abdulsalami Abubakar, who succeeded Abacha, announced a short transition programme, many of us in the pro-democracy movement decided to return home to participate.

“Dr. Fayemi returned to Nigeria in 1999 to establish the Centre for Democracy and Development, an organization dedicated to promoting democracy, peace-building, and security in Nigeria and Africa. He also operated the centre in Accra, Ghana. In 2006, Dr. Fayemi transitioned from being a public intellectual to a political leadership role as state governor.

“After a keenly contested party primary, Fayemi became our party’s candidate for the 2007 governorship election in Ekiti State against the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Engr. Segun Oni. Though the PDP candidate was declared the winner of the election, it was clear that Dr. Fayemi and our party, Action Congress, had been cheated out of an apparent victory. We decided to challenge the election at the Election Petitions Tribunal. After a long-drawn, painful, rigorous, and emotionally draining court process that lasted over three years, Dr. Fayemi was declared the winner in 2010 after a court-ordered re-run that also ended up at the Election Petitions Tribunal and the Appeal Court,” he said.

Tinubu described Dr. Fayemi’s exemplary service as an academic, author, administrator, and development expert, wishing him continued health and fulfilment in the years ahead as he turns 60.

“With our long years together in the trenches and years of party and national political collaboration, Fayemi has been an able lieutenant, an invaluable ally, and a committed patriot. In exercising his democratic right, Dr. Fayemi joined the presidential race as an aspirant on the platform of APC ahead of the 2023 elections.

“I was also an aspirant in the party. I announced my ambition well ahead of other aspirants in our party. After crisscrossing the country seeking the support of party delegates, Dr. Fayemi, on the party convention night, was gracious when he openly announced that he was stepping down for me. His decision demonstrated remarkable humility and comradeship,” Tinubu concluded.