Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State has faulted a comment made by his one of his aide that presidential candidates above 60 years should be exempted from the 2023 elections.
Naija News reports one of the governor’s aide, Makinde Araoye, at a recent event said that candidates above 60 should not be allowed to participate in the 2023 presidential election.
But in a statement on Friday, Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Yinka Oyebode, said the comment made by Araoye is his personal opinion and does not represent the view of the governor.
Oyebode noted that the view is in conflict with governor Fayemi’s well known position on political participation, adding that no artificial impediment should determine who gets their mandate as President.
He noted that Fayemi has always held the belief that no candidate should be discriminated against on the basis of age, sex, religion, or region.
Oyebode, however, advised members of the public to disregard the statement which was inadvertently credited to Governor Fayemi.
The statement reads: “Araoye spoke in his personal capacity at the event, hence the purported statement is at best his personal views and not representative of Governor Fayemi’s position.
“As a matter of fact, the view is in conflict with Governor Fayemi’s well known position on political participation. He is one of the leaders of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), that is not fixated about zoning of presidential and other elective positions.
“Dr. 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. He believes the electorate, rather than any artificial impediment, should determine who gets their mandate as President, Governor or other elective positions.
“Therefore, Mr. Araoye, who at the onset of his presentation at the event clarified that he was speaking in his personal capacity, couldn’t be speaking the mind of Governor Fayemi.
“Accordingly, members of the public are hereby urged to disregard the statement which was inadvertently credited to Governor Fayemi. Dr. Fayemi, as a leader and public office holder, believes in fairness and equity. He is a firm believer in constitutionalism and constitutional provisions regarding elections and aspiration to public offices in the country.”
