Fayemi finally resigns as solid minerals minister to focus on Ekiti governorship elections

SOLID minerals minister Dr Kayode Fayemi has finally resigned his appointment in line with Nigeria's constitutional stipulations to focus on the Ekiti State governorship elections due on July 14 in which he is standing as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate.

 

On May 12, Dr Fayemi won the APC primaries and was officially adopted as the party's candidate for the gubernatorial polls. A former governor Dr Fayemi secured 941 votes, beating Segun Oni, his nearest rival, who was also a former governor who only got 481 votes, to clinch a resounding victory in the APC primaries.

 

However, under the Nigerian and APC constitution, serving ministers are obliged to stand down if they are seeking elective office and Dr Fayemi's continued presence in the cabinet had raised several concerns. Under pressure to stand down, Dr Fayemi promised earlier this month to resign from the federal cabinet within in a week.

 

He had initially claimed that there was still a lot of work to be done, referring newsmen to Section 182 of the constitution, which he said allowed him to be in office till at least 30 days to the election. However, as demands for him to resign from the cabinet grew, he later agreed to stand down.

 

Incumbent Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose defeated the then incumbent governor Dr Fayemi in 2014 and a lot of bad blood still exists between the two. Governor Fayose's deputy Professor Kolapo Olusola, has been picked as the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, with former local government chairman Deji Ogunsakin named as his running mate.

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