THISDAY Board of Editors has named the Ekiti State governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi amongst one of the 20 Nigerians, who they believes would help shape events positively in the country in 2020. The newspaper in her edition of January 2, 2020, said the special publication on these 20 Isolated personalities, which included President Muhammadu Buhari, the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, Hamed Bola Tinubu, Aliko Dangote, was part of arrangement to celebrate her 25 years of sterling contributions not only to the evolution of modern journalism but also to the development of the country.
The Newspaper in his report, described Fayemi as a ‘Rallying Force for Next Generation Politicians.’
The Newspaper wrote: “Fayemi, governor of Ekiti State, former Minister of Solid Minerals and Chairman, Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), among others, has worked his way up the political ladder from being an activist and academic. And in so short a period of doing so, he has become a rallying force of sort for those who believe it is time to end gerontocracy in Nigeria.”
“He commands respect among his colleagues in the NGF and is one of the few South-west politicians who enjoy the confidence of Buhari, a trust that saw to him playing key roles in the presidential campaigns during the 2015 and 2019 general elections.”
“His position in NGF, an influential group comprising the 36 state governors, puts him in a position to influence policies, especially at the federal level, and a network that becomes an asset for executing political agenda.”
“With his tenure in Ekiti ending a year ahead of that of the president, there is no doubt that Fayemi will play active role in APC or if the talks of political realignment ahead of the 2023 general election become a reality, whichever party emerges from the transmutation.”
“Although there are rumours of him nursing a presidential ambition after his tenure, he has at many fora disclaimed such a quest. But in Nigeria, attention is better paid not to the words of a politician, but his body language. Is there, therefore, a dissonance between Fayemi’s words and body language? Although the years ahead hold the answer, Fayemi by virtue of his position for now, is a key player in shaping the future of the nation in 2020.” #adlNews