‘Leave APC If You Hate It’ — Basiru Threatens Fayemi With Disciplinary Action Over Alleged Anti-Party Activities

Fresh tension appears to be brewing within the ruling All Progressives Congress following a sharp exchange between the party’s National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, and former Ekiti State governor, Kayode Fayemi, over recent criticisms directed at the party.

Basiru has openly challenged Fayemi to resign from the APC if he no longer believes in the ideals and direction of the ruling party, warning that disciplinary measures could be taken against the former governor over alleged anti-party activities.

The APC chieftain accused Fayemi of working closely with opposition figures to undermine the party ahead of the forthcoming Ekiti State governorship election.

Fayemi, who is regarded as one of the founding members of the APC and also served as Minister of Solid Minerals Development, recently stirred political reactions after claiming that the ruling party was gradually “losing its bearing and vision.”

Reacting to the comments during an interview with Saturday Punch, Basiru insisted that Fayemi should stop criticising the party from within if he no longer had confidence in its leadership and ideology.

According to him, remaining in the party while allegedly wishing for its collapse amounted to political hypocrisy.

“We believe that he should be courageous enough to formally resign from the party he now appears to despise instead of pretending otherwise,” Basiru said.

He further stated that Fayemi was free to pursue his political interests elsewhere if he no longer aligned with the APC’s direction.

The APC National Secretary warned that the party would not fold its arms if any member engaged in activities capable of weakening its chances ahead of crucial elections.

Basiru stressed that Fayemi’s public comments were damaging, especially at a time the party was preparing for governorship primaries in Ekiti State.

According to him, the former governor should have used internal party mechanisms to address his concerns rather than making critical remarks in public.

He argued that Fayemi’s comments appeared strategically timed to create division within the party and reduce public confidence in the APC ahead of the election.

Basiru also linked Fayemi’s recent remarks to earlier allegations made by former Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi, who had claimed that some APC members were secretly collaborating with opposition forces against the ruling party.

The APC secretary alleged that Fayemi and some of his loyalists had been associating with opposition politicians in what he described as efforts to destabilise the party structure in Ekiti State.

“We have credible information that some of his associates have been hobnobbing with opposition elements, especially as preparations intensify for the Ekiti governorship election,” Basiru alleged.

The controversy followed Fayemi’s recent appearance on the programme State Affairs hosted by Edmund Obilo, where the former governor lamented what he described as the decline of intellectual debate and democratic values within the APC.

During the interview, Fayemi criticised the growing use of consensus arrangements in party primaries across different states, arguing that the practice contradicted democratic principles and reduced healthy political competition within the party.

He warned that the APC was gradually drifting away from the ideals upon which it was founded by its early leaders.

Fayemi also expressed concerns about some of the economic policies introduced under the administration of President Bola Tinubu, particularly the removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of the naira.

However, Basiru dismissed the criticism, describing Fayemi’s position on the reforms as either “ill-informed or mischievous.”

The latest clash between two prominent APC figures has further highlighted growing internal disagreements within the ruling party as political alignments ahead of future elections continue to intensify.