Kayode Fayemi, a presidential aspirant under the All Progressives Congress (APC), has pledged to apply his experience in resolving violent clashes in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Rwanda, and Sri Lanka to end banditry and insurgency in Nigeria.

“I’m one of the few Nigerians with real-time experience in ending battles. I worked as a consultant for Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo on the resolution of hostilities in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Rwanda, and bringing the Sri Lankan Tamil Tigers to the negotiating table,” the Ekiti state governor told APC delegates in Kaduna. 

The governor was in the state on Thursday to solicit delegates’ support ahead of the APC presidential primary contest, according to Femi Ige, spokesperson for the Kayode Fayemi campaign organisation.

In a statement released Friday in Abuja, the spokesperson said Senator Lawali Shuaibu had called for Nigerians to elect Mr Kayode for having the education, capacity, and experience to solve the country’s security problem.

Mr Ige had quoted Mr Fayemi as saying: “In addition to my real-world experience in conflict resolution, I have a Doctorate Degree in War Studies. If I can bring peace to other countries, why can’t I bring peace to my own? Nigeria is in the grip of a civil war, and we cannot afford to put a novice in charge; the consequences would be too horrific to contemplate.

“I will make every effort to ensure that we win the battle against insecurity, banditry, unemployment, poverty, inequality, threats to national disintegration, and lawlessness.

“To this end, a detailed blueprint that has been developed with corresponding timelines of implementation will be used to guide the speedy and accelerated retooling of key state institutions, including the armed forces, police service, and civil service, in collaboration with other key leaders of the party,” Mr Fayemi was quoted as saying.