TheCable

Kayode Fayemi has been sworn in as the governor of Ekiti state.

Fayemi is succeeding Ayodele Fayose, who is currently in Abuja to honour an invitation from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

He was sworn in at about noon on Tuesday at the Oluyemi Kayode stadium in Ado Ekiti, the state capital.

The former minister of solid minerals development defeated Kolapo Olusola, Fayose’s deputy governor,  to become the number one citizen in the state.

The inauguration of the governor was attended by bigwigs of the All Progressives Congress (APC), with the conspicuous absence of Adams Oshiomhole, chairman of the party.

In attendance was Bola Tinubu, a national leader of the APC; Bisi Akande, pioneer chairman of the party; Nasir el-Rufai, governor of Kaduna state; Enitan Ogunwusi, Ooni of Ife; and many other royals.

Other dignitaries present at the occasion include John Oyegun, former national chairman of APC; Babajide Sanwo-Olu, APC gubernatorial candidate for Lagos; Ibikunle Amosun, governor of Ogun state; Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, Ondo state governor; Akinwunmi Ambode, Lagos governor; Ken Nnamani, ex-senate president; Muhammed Abubakar, Bauchi governor.

In his inaugural speech, Fayemi said the state will never again have the kind of governance it experienced under the immediate past administration.

He promised to entrench the knowledge economy, adding the words of Obafemi Awolowo, the first premier of the Western region, “human beings are the measure of all things”.

Fayemi said he would resuscitate the social investment programme, and pay the elderly from time to time.