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Minister of Solid Minerals Development and All Progressive Congress ( APC) gubernatorial candidate, Kayode Fayemi on Wednesday advanced reasons why he is yet to resign from office even after clinching the party,s ticket.
Fayemi said he still has ” a lot of work to do” even as he said he is protected by the 1999 Constitution as amended to remain in office until 30days before the July 14th, 2018 gubernatorial election.
Fayemi who stated this while briefing State House Correspondents after paying a thank you visit to President Muhammadu Buhari before the Federal Executive Council meeting, said he was relying on provisions in sector 182 of the 1999 constitution, which according to him, ” says in Section 182 is that I must leave the cabinet at least 30 days before the general election”
” Well, I am the candidate of our party and I am also the minister if the federal republic at least for the next one week. So, for the next one week, I am the minister of mines and steel.”
Speaking on the probe panel that allegedly indicted him and his apology to Nigerians , Fayemi dismissed the panel,s report, adding that ” only court of competent jurisdiction can declare me guilty”
” You should understand the contest of the apology, don’t just take the apology on its own. What I said was that clearly, they were people in Ekiti even though they were minority, who were not happy with some of the policies and programmes of our government whilst we were in office and to such people, I render an apology”.
He declared that the issue will in no way disturb his current rescue mission in ekiti which he desctibed as “a job that has to be done”
” What do you want? You want continuity and lack of salary, continuity of poverty, continuity of want, continuity of directionlessness or do you want to return to a past of buoyancy, human development, accountability and transparency in government
” That is the clear dividing line and people can see that” he said.
“I don’t want to dwell on the probe panel. But, the law the land of the land is clear, it is only a court of competent jurisdiction that can convict anyone, any Nigerian for any malfeasance.
“You cannot seat in your house, cook up a probe panel, a kangaroo tribunal and you say you have indicated someone and that person is guilty and should be ban from public office.
Speaking on the purpose of the visit , Governor Tanko Almakura, Chairman of the APC Ekiti governorship committee and Governor of Nasarawa state, said ” it is the tradition in our party that immediately we finish the exercise of primaries and where a winner emerges, after giving the report to the national headquarters of the party, we bring such successful candidate to the leader of the party, who incidentally is the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for his blessings for the candidate that has so emerged”
. “Thereafter, we can say that we are ready to go forward and campaign for his election in line with INEC conditions.”
Almakura he noted that the “APC is very very ready if what I saw in Ekiti is anything to go by.”
” I think we can consider a this election as a forgone conclusion, given the support, the solidarity shown by other aspirants after the declaration, gave us an inkling that is going to be supported by all the aspirants”
” If you look at the quality, the comportment, the maturity of the delegates who have unanimously voted Fayemi, you will know that out there, the caliber of people they control are also people that represent the interest of Ekiti State. Should the election hold today, I can assure you that with what we have seen, we are comfortable that Fayemi will emerge the governor of Ekiti State.”
Tony Ailemen, Abuja
