6 days ago
23
From Priscilla Ediare, Ado-Ekiti
The Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, and the All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders from the Central Senatorial District of Ekiti State have hailed Governor Biodun Oyebanji for the development witnessed in the state under his administration.
Expressing satisfaction with the Oyebanji-led government in the state, Senator Bamidele, representing Ekiti Central Senatorial District at the National Assembly, and other frontline leaders from the district, including former Deputy Governor Prof. Modupe Adelabu, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, two-time commissioner Mrs Ronke Okunsanya, serving House of Representatives members Hon. Biodun Omoleye and Sola Fatoba, former Acting Governor Rt. Hon. Tope Ademiluyi, former member of the House of Representatives Hon. Wumi Ogunlola, and other party leaders, endorsed Governor Oyebanji for a second term in office.
The endorsement was passed at a special senatorial meeting organised by the APC leaders and stakeholders from Ekiti Central Senatorial District, held at the Fajuyi Pavilion, Ado-Ekiti, the capital of the state.
The leaders, from the Ekiti Central Senatorial District comprising five local government areas—Ado, Irepodun/Ifelodun, Efon, Ijero, and Ekiti West—adopted Governor Oyebanji as the sole candidate for the next governorship election, billed to hold in 2026.
The endorsement came in a resolution presented to the APC Acting State Chairman, Sola Elesin, and via a letter transmitted to the governor by former Deputy Governor and Chairman of Ekiti Central APC Stakeholders, Prof. Modupe Adelabu.
Adelabu clarified that the action does not abridge the rights of other APC members to contest for the plum seat. She said what the endorsement means is that Oyebanji will get the full and solid backing of all APC members in the senatorial district in the coming poll.
In his address, Senator Bamidele said the action taken by party members signposted that they value the continuity of good governance for Ekiti’s development to spiral.
The Senate Leader commended all the past governors of the state—Otunba Niyi Adebayo, Engr. Segun Oni, Chief Ayodele Fayose, and Dr. Kayode Fayemi—for their contributions to the development of the state, stressing that the solid foundation they laid has helped the current governor to consolidate and fast-track the development of the state.
“Today, we are unveiling in the open what we have been saying to ourselves behind closed doors—that Ekiti has never had it so good. We are very lucky to have Governor Biodun Oyebanji as our governor. What we are doing today is not a campaign; the time for campaign is coming. All we are doing is to hold our regular APC senatorial meeting; this is symbolic and strategic to us.
“The frontline and greatest achievement of Governor Oyebanji is being able to unite everybody under one platform and umbrella. You may not understand what I meant by Governor Oyebanji’s unity magic.
“But if you follow the trajectory of our politics in Ekiti State, particularly what happened in 2003 between Otunba Niyi Adebayo and Ayodele Fayose, and what we witnessed between Segun Oni and Kayode Fayemi in 2007, then you will understand Oyebanji’s unity magic. All these leaders are now working together, and all the achievements that Ekiti made under these past leaders are being consolidated under Governor Oyebanji.
“Beyond uniting Ekiti and bringing down governance from the Olympian height of the past to the grassroots, you will understand that he has given government, governance, and our party back to ordinary people. Oyebanji is working, and Ekiti is progressing. We have never had it so good.
“I thank the governor for uniting all of us and for taking Ekiti to the next level. We need continuity in Ekiti. If you go to Lagos before 1999 and you go there today, continuity has brought a new lease of life to that state, so the governor should continue with his good work till 2030.”
Bamidele appreciated the governor for his Midas touches and enigmatic strides in the areas of infrastructure, agriculture, youth empowerment, and other pivotal actions taken to radicalise the economy, saying these have reverberated beyond the shores of the state.
In his remarks, Senator Ojudu said that Oyebanji has done creditably well in unifying the party leaders and upscaling development, especially focusing on human empowerment through the Adire Ekiti Hub, which has become the masterstroke policy turning around the lives of the citizens.
“This is the first time since 2003 when everybody will sleep with two eyes closed without fear of being killed in Ekiti. The governor is a unifier. No case of politically motivated killing under him. He has befriended his enemies and now has none. He is so humble, and he must be elected for a second term, and we will make sure he wins resoundingly.”
Responding, Governor Oyebanji appreciated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and APC members for supporting him solidly to be able to take Ekiti to a milestone in terms of development strides and for providing the platform to serve the people.
Oyebanji, who is also from the district, promised to continue to serve dedicatedly and with every fibre in his body to mitigate the poverty index and address the infrastructure deficit in the state, while appealing to party members to embark on aggressive mobilisation and be fair to all members.
“I am moved, very touched by this endorsement, and I appreciate you from the bottom of my heart. When you gave me the ticket, I told you that I would always hear your voices. In the last two years, I have served you with humility and commitment.
“Myself and the Deputy Governor accept this with all humility. But this doesn’t preclude anyone who has a governorship ambition on the platform of APC from showing interest. APC is a party that respects the right of every member to contest for any position of their choice. We are not afraid of competition.
“This is history being made today in Ekiti. When INEC lifts the ban on political campaigns, you will know that you have a good and acceptable governor.”
Other high-profile dignitaries at the event include the Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye; the Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adeoye Aribasoye; Senator Babafemi Ojudu; former Deputy Governor Modupe Adelabu; the House of Representatives member representing Ekiti Central Constituency 1, Hon. Sola Fatoba; his colleague in Constituency 2, Hon. Biodun Omoleye; former House of Representatives member, Hon. Wumi Ogunlola; former Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Wale Fapohunda (SAN); serving and former council chairmen and councillors; party leaders; politicians; among others.
It is recalled that a similar endorsement was made late last year by the leaders of APC from the South Senatorial District of the state.
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