As Oyebanji’s second term campaign kicks off
History is in the making again for Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji of Ekiti State. He is not new to breaking records, as he had earlier set the tempo for historical
- By Wole Olujobi
History is in the making again for Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji of Ekiti State. He is not new to breaking records, as he had earlier set the tempo for historical records when he assumed office on October 16, 2022, after the June 18, 2022 governorship election in which he emerged the first to win succession election by the ruling party in Ekiti State’s election history.
To achieve that feat, he rode on the crest of his ‘omoluabi’ credo and six-point agenda which in the last three years, he has faithfully implemented in education, health, agriculture, social investment sectors, security, economy and infrastructure development, including creating an atmosphere of amity among contending political forces in Ekiti State for enduring peace, thus earning the trust and confidence of Ekiti people.
And so amid fanfare, grandeur and sense of fulfilment of a dream come true three years after, Ado-Ekiti was on Monday, April 27, overwhelmed in a blaze of pomp and glory, as top leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC), party members, including members of the public, in a show of solidarity, stormed Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, to support the governor in a memorable and historical quest for another four-year term in the Oke Ayoba Government House.
With veritable evidence of good performance as explained by various groups chanting solidarity songs for Oyebanji, Monday event had a trapping of a governor that is set to turn the page of development, bracing to consolidate efforts in the last three and half years to put Ekiti State on a firmer footing for growth.
The import of the quest is not lost on the people as residents donned APC caps and wears, apparently poised to continue to embrace the fortunes that have trailed the governor’s development strides in the last three years.
The nobility of the Ekiti election campaign is anchored on the governor’s performance that has set the bar as an incentive to chase history by winning two terms back to back, including striving to win in all the 2,445 polling units across the state. The target is securing a minimum of 500,000 votes as an historical feat marking the beginning of APC’s complete dominance in Ekiti State. The method is one-on-one campaign strategy across the state to the remotest parts until the last man is engaged to see reasons for Oyebanji’s continuity in governance.
At hand to share in the quest for the continuation of good governance are party leaders from across the country who came to lend hands in efforts for more gains of good governance for Ekiti people, who defied the scorching sun to show appreciation to the man that has been shaping their lives for good in the last three years.
It was all at the Ekitiparapo Pavilion, Ado-Ekiti, where party leaders, APC members and supporters, students unions, religious groups, trade, professional and cultural groups, including informal sectors, representatives of Ekiti indigenes resident in Ondo State and members of Ayo Fayose Support Group, including leaders and members of other political parties, had converged to mark the beginning of a novel campaign model targeting 500,000 votes to signpost an historical feat in election contest.
On arrival of Oyebanji in company of his wife, Olayemi Oyebanji, and deputy governor, Monisade Christiana Afuye, APC national chairman, Nantawe Yilwatda leading other national leaders, including national secretary, Ajibola Basiru; and national financial secretary, Suleiman Ginsa, among other leaders, the expansive Ekitiparapo Pavilion became more charged, as deafening shouts of BAO rent the air to herald the man of the moment to the venue where he once made a pledge for a shared prosperity among Ekiti people.
Others included Edo State governor, Monday Okpebholo, Kogi governor, Usman Ododo, Ondo governor, Lucky Ayedatiwa, Kaduna governor, Uba Sani and Delta governor, Francis Orohwedor Oborevwori, APC National Vice Chairman (South West), Isaac Kekemeke; Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Duro Meseko; chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum, Hope Uzodinma; former governors, Adeniyi Adebayo, Segun Oni, Ayo Fayose and Kayode Fayemi. Also in the visiting party were the chairman of Ekiti State Governorship Campaign Council and Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, Remi Oguntuase, Hon Sola Fatoba, Hon Niyi Ojuawo and director general of Ekiti State Governorship Campaign Council, Senator Cyril Fasuyi.
For Ekiti people, the fulfilment of the first pledge holds much promise for the hope and accomplishment of the second, hence they defied the scorching sun to listen to the messages of hope from the leaders who spoke at the event.
They spoke in turns, urging support for Oyebanji by delivering 500,000 votes to strengthen efforts for the sustenance of the APC’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Senator Bamidele said APC leaders were present to celebrate Oyebanji for his hard work and success in the administration of Ekiti State. He added that Ekiti people were happy over Oyebanji’s constant attention to their needs, particularly in holding Ekiti people together to sustain peace in the last three years.
As the chairman of the campaign council, Bamidele promised violence-free campaigns ahead of the June 20 poll. He urged Ekiti people to vote for Oyebanji in appreciation of his result-oriented administration in Ekiti State.
Fayemi preached violence-free campaign, stressing that Oyebanji had done very well to deserve second term victory.
Oni, who spoke in the same vein, urged Ekiti people to support Oyebanji for the good work he has started.
Fayose said he was present at the rally because he was for Ekiti agenda, which, he said, Oyebanji is leading to make life comfortable for Ekiti people. He explained that he was supposed to be in the opposition party, but that because of what Oyebanji is doing, he and other former governors are for Oyebanji in his Ekiti development agenda drive.
For Adebayo, who praised Oyebanji for making the progressives family in Ekiti State proud, amplified the need for the continuity of Oyebanji’s leadership. He urged Ekiti people to support the governor in his aspiration.
Kaduna State governor, Uba Sani, who is also the national chairman of the Ekiti State Governorship Campaign Council, said that Oyebanji represented the face of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led Renewed Hope Agenda and urged Ekiti people to lend support for the governor in his second term election to renew hope in young Nigerians to ensure prosperity for all.
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For the ‘ranking’ director general, Senator Cyril Fasuyi, who also led Oyebanji’s campaign in the first term election in 2022, he will lead the campaign again and succeed in his history-making assignment. He had recently declared: “Our objective is for the APC to win for Governor Biodun Oyebanji in all the 177 wards of Ekiti State. We are targeting a minimum of 500,000 votes. In this election, every member of APC is a canvasser in the place where he or she lives. With unity, discipline and hard work, victory in this historical election is achievable because Oyebanji has already done the job that will make him succeed.”
Rounding off the event, Oyebanji said Ekiti people were at the rally to testify to what his administration had done in three years. He singled out President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his unprecedented assistance to Ekiti State, saying he owed all his achievements to Tinubu, even as he added that no other president had given such assistance to Ekiti State since creation. He urged Ekiti people to take 500,000 votes drive seriously, stressing that the attainment of the objective will assist the president in his second term election.
In the coming days, 177 ward canvassers will lead other 2,445 unit canvassers in a man-on-man, community-based campaign model that is interactive in form and persuasive in content in a campaign drive for an indelible historical moment for Oyebanji in his leadership of Ekiti State.
•Olujobi is of Media and Communications Directorate, Ekiti State Governorship Campaign Council.
