The All Progressives Congress (APC) in the South-West geopolitical zone has commended voters in Ekiti State for turning out in large numbers to re-elect Governor Biodun Oyebanji for another four-year term.
The party said the outcome of the election further confirmed Ekiti people as informed citizens who consistently make decisions in the best interest of their state and the country.
In a statement issued in Ibadan on Monday by the zonal Publicity Secretary, Ayobami Afolabi, the APC described Oyebanji’s victory as “not only unprecedented but a testament to the fact that most Nigerians appreciate the quality leadership being offered by both the governor and President Bola Tinubu.”
Governor Biodun Oyebanji emerged winner of the Ekiti State governorship election held on Saturday, defeating candidates of 13 political parties. The victory also made him the first sitting governor in the state’s history to secure re-election.
Afolabi said about 90 per cent of the total votes cast across the 16 local government areas of the state went to the APC candidate, reflecting the confidence of the electorate in the party.
“About 90 per cent of the total votes cast in the 16 local government areas across Ekiti State on Saturday went to the candidate of our great party, and this speaks volumes of the decision of the good people of the state to keep faith with the Broom Party,” he said.
He added that the party would not take the mandate for granted, noting that the governor and other elected officials had been challenged to intensify efforts in delivering quality leadership, innovation and effective service delivery.
Afolabi expressed optimism ahead of the forthcoming governorship election in Osun State, saying the poll would provide an opportunity for voters to elect leadership capable of advancing the state’s development.
“In less than two months, Osun State will also go to the polls, and we believe that it would be an opportunity for the voters in that state not only to return to mainstream politics but also to elect a governor they can be proud of anywhere in the world,” he said.
He also urged stakeholders across the South-West to revive the developmental ideals championed by the region’s founding fathers, particularly the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
“The best time is now for the entire South-West people to rediscover the magic wand with which the sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, and his team positioned the region above its peers in the 1950s and 1960s, and none of the six states in the geopolitical zone can afford to be left behind,” he said.
While appreciating Ekiti voters for retaining the party in power, Afolabi urged them to further support the APC and President Bola Tinubu in future elections.
“When they do this, greater dividends of democracy would come to them, and they would have their names etched in gold,” he added.
