Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State has said that the decision of the governments of the All Progressives Congress-controlled states to participate in the coming national conference is in fulfillment of their role expectations to the people.
Fayemi gave the indication in Ado Ekiti, the state capital, on Wednesday while addressing journalists on why the APC-controlled states will participate in national conference contrary to the party’s resolve.
He said the APC-controlled states would participate in the conference bearing in mind the fact that government was not for a particular party or section of the public but for the generality of the people.
He said, “There is no sudden change of mind. The national conference in its constitution has slot for political parties as well as states.
“APC is well within its right as a party to decide on what its position is as far as the national conference is concerned. But APC also has states being governed by its members bearing in mind the fact that governors are governors of all.
“Without prejudice to the position that our party has taken, we preside over both members as well as non members of our parties and it would be wrong for us to decide unilaterally as governors not to allow our citizens to air their views as far as the national conference is concerned.
“Take Ekiti where I can speak authoritatively for example. Ekiti people are very particular about the nature of federalism that we are practising.
“The citizens have interest in whether we continue to run this kind of feeding-bottle federalism or not or a co-operative federalism within a regional context. They also have a range of interest for economic prosperity and how will agriculture thrive and why should primary education be the right of Federal Government?
“Should we then suggest that as governors of our individual states, which are federating units within the Nigerian states, arrogate to ourselves the position that because our parties are not participating we should not participate?”
Fayemi said the national leadership of the APC advised that the various states owed the people a responsibility, noting that “The president in his broadcast said he would choose delegates for any state that refuses to send delegates for the conference. You can imagine how it would feel if those people are speaking for us.”