APC owes Nigerians an apology for removing Jonathan, all protests against him in 2014 were politically motivated — Fayemi 

APC owes Nigerians an apology for removing Jonathan, all protests against him in 2014 were politically motivated — Fayemi 

 

Former Minister of Solid Minerals and ex-Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has openly admitted that the All Progressives Congress (APC) owes Nigerians an apology for its failure to meet the promises made during the 2015 election campaign.

 

Fayemi made this statement during a televised interview on Channels TV, reflecting on the actions taken by the party to oust former President Goodluck Jonathan.

 

As Opposition, We Played Dirty Politics, Paid People To Protest Against Ex-President Jonathan in 2014 — Amaechi

 

When asked if the APC should apologize for the role it played in removing Jonathan, Fayemi responded without hesitation, saying, “Oh, clearly, we must apologize to the Nigerian people. We have not succeeded in achieving everything we promised.”

 

Fayemi recalled the politically charged Occupy Nigeria protests during Jonathan’s administration, which were triggered by the government’s decision to remove fuel subsidies.

 

He admitted that, despite knowing Jonathan’s subsidy removal policy was the right decision, the protests were politically motivated.

 

“We knew Jonathan’s decision to remove fuel subsidy was right, but we protested against it,” he confessed. He went on to acknowledge the APC’s shortcomings, attributing their failure to deliver on promises not solely to incompetence but also to “structural impediments” that hindered progress.

 

Fayemi emphasized that an apology to Nigerians is necessary, though it should be accompanied by real efforts to make amends.

 

“An apology may give us a feel-good factor, but that’s not really what we need. We need to get our act together—all of us who consider ourselves leaders in this space. If we don’t, the risks we face as a nation are far greater than the benefits we seek.”

 

The former governor also reflected on the lessons he learned from the country’s elder statesmen and his responsibility to the younger generation.

 

“I was brought up by the Enahoros and the Wole Soyinkas of this world. They lifted me up as a young man. I have a duty to the youth of Africa to enable them to become better leaders than I have been,” Fayemi said.