Kayode Fayemi Political Controversies: Alliances, Ambitions and Questions
By Akin Alade
Kayode Fayemi has built a long political career around pro-democracy activism, governance and his role within the All Progressives Congress (APC). But beyond the celebrated history of the Radio Kudirat era, his political journey has also been marked by internal party disputes, competing ambitions and controversies that have repeatedly placed him at the centre of political conversations.
One of the most contentious episodes involved the 2018 APC primary controversy. Former APC National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole publicly alleged that Fayemi asked him to manipulate a party primary to favour a particular candidate. Fayemi strongly rejected the allegation, describing it as false and challenging Oshiomhole to provide independently verifiable evidence. The dispute remains an important example of the intense internal battles that have accompanied Fayemi’s political career.
Fayemi’s political relationships have also generated questions about his alliances and influence within the APC. In 2020, a faction of the Ekiti APC announced his suspension, accusing him of anti-party activities and alleging that he had played a role in political manoeuvring surrounding the Edo governorship election. Fayemi’s opponents made the allegations; they should not be treated as established facts, but the episode demonstrated the depth of the internal divisions surrounding his leadership in Ekiti APC.
His political ambitions became even more visible during the 2022 APC presidential contest. Fayemi was among those seeking the party’s presidential ticket, at a time when Bola Tinubu and other prominent figures were also pursuing the nomination. Fayemi eventually withdrew from the contest and endorsed Tinubu, describing the decision as necessary and pledging to support Tinubu’s bid.
That episode raises a broader question about the place of personal ambition and political alliances in Fayemi’s career. His decision to withdraw demonstrated political pragmatism, but it also became another chapter in the complicated relationship between presidential ambition, party loyalty and strategic alliances within the APC.
The Edo political crisis has remained another point of controversy. In 2024, Fayemi criticised Oshiomhole over the APC’s disputed Edo governorship primary, accusing the former APC chairman of attempting to impose a candidate. Oshiomhole and Fayemi had previously exchanged serious allegations over the party’s internal processes, illustrating how longstanding political disagreements can resurface years later.
More recently, Fayemi has himself become a critic of the direction of the APC. In May 2026, he argued that the party was losing its original vision and criticised the growing reliance on consensus arrangements during party primaries. He warned that excessive dependence on endorsements and access to political power could create deeper divisions within the party.
The contrast is striking: Fayemi has spent decades inside the political establishment, yet he has also repeatedly found himself questioning the conduct and direction of the same political structures in which he has played influential roles. For his supporters, this may represent principled criticism from within; for his critics, it raises questions about consistency, alliances and political strategy.
Ultimately, Fayemi’s record cannot be reduced either to his pro-democracy credentials or to the controversies surrounding him. His political history contains both documented achievements and serious disputes involving party organisation, political alliances and presidential ambition. The unanswered questions surrounding some of those episodes continue to shape how his role in Nigeria’s evolving political landscape is interpreted.
