THE Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo on Tuesday kick-started the campaign of the All Progressives Congress, APC, for the July 14 governorship election in Ekiti State, asking the electorate to vote the party’s candidate, Dr Kayode Fayemi.
Speaking at the campaign kick-off at the Oluyemi Kayode Stadium in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, he described Fayemi as a good material to govern the state.
Osinbajo described Fayemi as a man sent to deliver Ekiti from poverty, saying the July 14 election affords the electorate the opportunity to change their destiny for good.
He said: “God has brought a blessed man, who is Dr Kayode Fayemi. He will do Ekiti a lot of good if elected governor. He will bring development to your doorsteps.
“On July 14, don’t look back or sideways, just look forward to a good future ahead of you by voting for Fayemi. APC is a party of progress. Let us vote for APC in this election.
“APC will help Ekiti to develop.”
Accompanied by governors from the APC-controlled states and party leaders from across the country, he advised the Ekiti people to join the league of progressive states of Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Ogun and Lagos, Oyo of the Southwest region.
Also speaking at the rally, leader of the party and former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, urged voters to return Fayemi with their Permanent Voters’ Cards, PVCs, saying: “This is a broom revolution. Ekiti is the only state where change must take place, after which work would start. We will not return to suffering, because you have come from various angles.
“We want progress in Ekiti, hence you must join others by voting for Fayemi, as we have not come to fight in the state.”
On his part, Chairman of the APC National Campaign Council, and Governor of Kebbi state, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu, said the people’s overwhelming support for Fayemi has made his job easier saying: “Nigeria is in the safe hands of President Muhammadu Buhari and Osibajo, so will Ekiti be under Fayemi.”
He said: “If Ogun, Ondo, Lagos, Oyo, Osun, Plateau and Kebbi could embrace APC, Ekiti must do same, because we represent progress.”
APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun welcomed a former Minister of Works, Dayo Adeyeye and his supporters to the party.
Oyegun said the July 14 is a done deal for the party, saying: “immediately I entered Ekiti, I could feel, smell that resounding victory we will record on July 14.
“You have tested two wives, and you have known who is best. Fayemi is the best man for the job. He will do Ekiti proud and restore honour and dignity to your state”, he said.
Welcoming the defectors, led by Adeyeye, Oyegun assured that nobody will be discriminated against in the party.
“I welcome all of you to our party. You are welcome proudly to a progressive party that is steering the ship of our nation to the right shore”.
On his part, Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, asked the people of Ekiti state to vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Fayemi in the forthcoming July 14th, governorship election in the state, while urging them to join the progressives train of Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Ogun and Lagos States in the South west and other parts of the country.
Also, former Edo State Governor, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole said: “On July 14, it would be one-man, one-vote, one-woman, one-vote, and your votes would count this time, as nobody would tinker with it.”
On his own, former governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Niyi Adebayo, advised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against listening to pleas by some groups that the Federal Government should not deploy soldiers and police in the election.
Also, Governors Ibikunle Amosun, Rauf Aregbesola, Isiaka Ajimobi, Bello and Ahmed, urged the electorate to vote Fayemi to bring unprecedented progress to the state.
In his speech, Fayemi promised to revive all the projects initiated by his administration but later abrogated by his successors in the interest of the populace.
His words: “The Youth in Agriculture, Youth Volunteer, the Ekiti State Traffic Management Agency, Social Security scheme and other landmark programmes will be revamped for the benefit of Ekiti people.
“I know Ekiti won’t subscribe to continuity of poverty, wanton neglect, fraud and pauperisation of our people in the name of governance.
At the rally were also Secretary to the Federal Government, Mr. Mustapha Boss, Governors from Zamfara and Chairman of the Governors’ forum, Governor Abdulazis Yari, Edo, Godwin Obaseki, Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Ondo, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN, Kogi, Mr. Yahaya Bello, Oyo, Abiola Ajimobi, Kwara, Abdufatah Ahmed, Jigawa, Alhaji Abubakar Badaru, Plateau, Simon Lalong, Borno, Kashim Shettima and Ogun, Ibikunle Amosun, Ministers of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Defence, Mansur Dan Ali, State Mines and Steel Development, Abubakar Bawa Bwari and Senator Olorunnibe Mamora.
