.....as Oyebanji says Ekiti is united behind President
..Northerners won't betray President, Yari assures
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has appealed to Ekiti State voters to give him not less than 90% of total votes cast in the January 16 , 2027 presidential poll to retain his seat and develop the country, describing his opponents as lacking the requisite political and leadership skills that can match his credentials .
This presidential utterance came to the fore, as the Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji and Coordinator of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council in the state, said Tinubu has not disappointed Ekiti for the votes they gave him in 2023, saying no President has surpassed Tinubu's achievements in the state since the advent of democracy in 1999.
Tinubu, who spoke in Ado Ekiti on Thursday during a well attended presidential rally organised by the APC presidential campaign council held at the Ekitiparapo Pavilion, in Ado Ekiti, said he had fulfilled some of the promises he made for Ekiti people before the last Presidential election in terms of appointments and execution of developmental projects.
Tinubu, represented by the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, who reminisced on the June 20 Ekiti Governorship Election, applauded the voters for reelecting Governor Oyebanji with 87.5 percent of total votes cast in the poll, which he said loudly amplified the fact that Ekiti is fully APC.
Enthralled by the level of unity among the political actors in the State, Tinubu said he was thrilled with the way Governor Oyebanji has been able to unite all the opposition figures after the election, particularly bringing those who contested with him on the same page to rally support for him ahead of 2027.
"Let me speak briefly about those who are contesting against us. Let us analyse Adamawa for instance, we have had five governors since 1999 in that state, not a single one is standing with Alhaji Abubakar Atiku.
"Is Governor Umaru Fintiri with him? No. Is former Governors Boni Haruna, Barrister Bala Ngilari , Murtala Nyako and Bindow Jibrilla with him? No. None of them is standing with him. All these political giants are standing with President Tinubu.
"If you can't control your own state, if you are not relevant in your state, how do you now relevant elsewhere? Politics is a game of number. What will Atiku who is not relevant at home tell the people of Osun, Ogun, Kaduna, Lagos, Rivers and others?".
Speaking about his achievements in the last three years in Ekiti, Tinubu said he had completed the construction of Ado-Ikere-Akure road, while contracts had been awarded for the reconstruction of Ado-Ijan-Iluomoba-Ikare road and Ado-Aramoko-Ita Ore road.
"Besides road construction, we have also established a federal University at Iyin Ekiti to train our youths and employ them. Students of Ekiti State University and Bamidele Olumulua University of Education, Science and Technology are enjoying the students' loan established by our administration.
"I plead with you, let us give our president another chance to do more and make Nigeria a great nation. Look at all your leaders, former governor Niyi Adebayo, former Governor Ayodele Fayose, former governor Segun Oni and former governor Kayode Fayemi, they have all aligned with the aspiration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. We appreciate you for this solidarity. God bless you".
At the event, Oyebanji, who led the governorship candidates of the peoples Democratic Party, Dr Wole Oluyede and other prominent opposition figures to address the gathering, said the APC won the last governorship election with 87.5 percent , which he said was a victory for President Tinubu and the good people of the state.
Governor Oyebanji, who said President Tinubu has not disappointed Ekiti citizens in terms of federal presence, assured the APC national leaders that the state will double the vote tally given to him in the governorship election to the President in 2027 to appreciate his generosity of spirit and committed zeal to develop the state and its people.
"President Tinubu has no problem in Ekiti. We are United behind him. We are going to double the tally of votes we got here in the last election to him. All our former governors are with us on this project and all the major candidates of opposition parties are with us . We are going to return the President with 90 percent of total votes here in Ekiti.
"How do we pay back a President that has completed Ado-ikere-Akure road and who had awarded the reconstruction of Ado-Aramoko- Ita Ore and Ado- Ijan Iluomoba- Ikole road? The only thing we can say a thank you to a president who has done a lot for our women and youth is by giving him our votes and that we shall do here in Ekiti by the grace of God".
Speaking at the political gathering, the Director General, APC Presidential Campaign Council and former Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari, assured that the people of the North won't betray President Tinubu on account of his past political support for forner President Muhammadu Buhari and other heavyweights from that region.
Yari appealed to Ekiti voters to give President Tinubu a minimum of 900,000 votes in the January Presidential poll, saying the unity of purpose already initiated by Governor Oyebanji among the political gladiators will make this realisable.
"The labour of President Bola Tinubu, a seasoned leader and democrat won't be in vain. He has invested a lot to the growth of democracy in Nigeria and keeping him on the presidential seat for the next four years will make him achieve his restructuring programmes.
"I am happy today that when he came on board, he had succeeded in reducing food inflation. The prices of bags of sorghum, rice, millets, maize and other consumables had been reduced drastically. In the North, we are with him and I believe that voters in Ogun, Osun, Ekiti, Ondo, Oyo and Lagos should follow suit.
"He had supported our sons to win elections in this country. We have not forgotten these. Northerners will appreciate these noble gestures with votes, so that President Tinubu can continue to pilot the affairs of our nation to a point that will benefit all of us".
Also addressing the enthusiastic crowd, the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele and APC Chairman in Ekiti, Barr Sola Elesin, saluted the voters for believing in APC, saying their votes for the party in the next presidential poll typifies a renewed hope actions and not a slide into retrogression as being touted by the opposition.
During the event, the 12,000- capacity Ekitiparapo Pavilion was filled to brim, with APC admirers, opposition figures and party members dancing enthusiastically in a manner suggesting that they were seriously committed to Tinubu's reelection and proud of Governor Oyebanji's leadership in the state.
Dignitaries at the event were: Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwoolu and his wife, Ibijoke, Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, as well as former Governors Kayode Fayemi, Ayodele Fayose and Niyi Adebayo.
Other included : Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye, the speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Adeoye Aribasoye, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, Senator Cyril Fasuyi, members House of Representatives, ministers, commissioners, Special Advisers, party leaders, traders, okada riders, civil servants, among others.
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