Ajibola Basiru, national secretary of All Progressives Congress (APC), has cautioned former Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi against making statements capable of damaging the image of the ruling party, warning that disciplinary action could be taken against him over alleged anti-party activities.
Gatekeepers News reports that the warning followed Fayemi’s recent criticism of the APC during an interview on State Affairs with Edmund Obilo, where the former governor said the party had strayed from the ideals of its founding fathers and was gradually losing internal ideological direction.
Fayemi expressed concern over what he described as the growing culture of endorsements and consensus arrangements within the party, warning that such developments could trigger internal crises ahead of future elections.
“This is not where the party has come from. We have lost our bearing and the vision of the founding fathers of this party,” Fayemi said during the interview.
The former chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum also criticised what he described as increasing desperation among politicians seeking favour from the presidency.
“It would be unfortunate if everybody is running to Aso Rock because they want something,” he said.
“Those who don’t get consensus won’t be happy… and you’re waiting for an implosion.”
Reacting to the comments, Basiru dismissed Fayemi’s concerns and suggested the former governor should leave the APC if he no longer believes in the party’s direction.
“We urge him that since he so much despises the party and wishes the party an implosion, he should go to where whatever he thinks his best ideas can be ventilated,” Basiru told Punch.
“We wish him the best of luck, but he should not stay within our party and be wishing us bad luck. He should go to another political party if he no longer believes in the party he represents.”
Basiru further warned that the APC would not tolerate actions or comments considered harmful to the party’s interests.
“Let him go and join another party. If he does not join another party, the APC will not hesitate to invoke disciplinary actions to sanction him for anti-party activities,” he said.
The APC national secretary also linked Fayemi’s comments to ongoing political alignments ahead of the 2027 elections, alleging that the former governor had been associating with opposition politicians.
“His statement only further confirmed what Mr Rotimi Amaechi said, that he was one of those who agreed to form opposition against the APC,” Basiru said.
“We also have it on good authority that he and some of his followers have been hobnobbing with opposition elements, particularly ahead of the Ekiti governorship election.”
Basiru added that Fayemi’s comments came at a sensitive period when the APC was preparing for the Ekiti governorship election and conducting party primaries nationwide.
“Even at this time that the party is conducting its primaries and making preparations for the all-important Ekiti governorship election, it only shows a design to demarket the party ahead of that election,” he said.
Fayemi, a founding member of the APC and former minister of solid minerals development, has in recent months repeatedly called for internal reforms within the ruling party while advocating stronger democratic engagement and ideological clarity.
