The political landscape of Ekiti State witnessed the rebirth of Accord Party in the state on Saturday September 9,2017. It’s a new beginning and dawn of new era with visionary leaders in positions of authority.
Accord Party is a party that believes in delivering the true meaning of democracy to Nigeria citizens.
At the inaugural meeting and unveiling of the party secretariat along Iworoko Road Ado-Ekiti, the new executive members (State, LGA and Wards) of the party were inaugurated and charged with a responsibility to be diligent, dedicated and hardworking to ensure victory for the party in the next gubernatorial and forthcoming elections.
The newly sworn in chairman of Accord Party in the state, Chief Samuel Abiola Odeoba, in his acceptance speech alongside the newly inaugurated executive members, vowed to work tirelessly with his members to ensure victory at the poll next year by the grace of God.
The chairman also stated that all young people and women seeking to contest for elective positions under the structure of the party will be given their nomination form free of charge. Consideration will also been given to any woman between the ages of 30 – 50 years old who is interested and qualified to fill the position of the deputy governor which is open only to women from Ekiti South and Central senatorial districts, according to Odeoba.
In a key note address at the occasion, the leader of the party in the state, Akogun Banji Ojo (ABO), who is also a governorship aspirant of the party, rolled out some of the programmes of his Accord Party-led Administration when elected as governor of the South-West state.
In his speech, he stated that his primary focus will be on the development of the state agricultural potentials, especially in the area of cocoa plantation and production.
According to him, agriculture,
which was neglected due to discovery of oil, was the mainstay of the western region with which the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo developed the region to an enviable height and that such institution still remain the pride of Odua till date.
To achieve this, the aspirant said he is partnering with international communities, an example of which is an Agro-based company in Netherlands in the area of cocoa plantation and production. And this will be replicated in all the three senatorial districts of the state.
He promised to abolish the Ministry of Establishment which had rendered many government employees in the ministry redundant and idle.
ABO said he would instead deploy people to farmlands where they can be fully engaged in productive capacities in addition to giving interest free agricultural loans to youths interested in farming.
To achieve this, he said he had started making consultation with relevant stakeholders, commercial banks and other financial institution with a view to raising the sum of N200 million with which the scheme can effectively take off as soon as he’s sworn-in as the governor in October, 2018.
He stated further that within the first 100 days in office, agriculture sector alone would have created 5,000 jobs, the implication which will positively address the issue of unemployment occasioned by over dependent on non-existing white collar jobs.
While encouraging Ekiti people to embrace Accord Party, Ojo maintained that the party remains the only party that has not been tested neither has it exhausted its potential or exposed its economic recovery programmes that will transform Ekiti State like other parties that have exhausted all their political tactics without achieving meaningful development in the state.
He lamented the misrule of the Peoples Democratic party (PDP) and that of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the last 16 years which has not brought any meaningful development to Ekiti State. He equally decried the act of recycling past governors, a situation which clearly indicated that such past governors have seen politics just as a hobby or means to make ends meet rather than genuine call to serve.
He decried, frowned and discouraged a situation whereby people will be cajoled to sell their votes by being given peanuts and empty promises.
This, he said, Accord Party will address positively with all purpose and intent. He urged the stakeholders to take into cognizance the future of their children and desist from trading the future of the next generation for a plate of porridge.
The aspirant maintained that welfare of the citizens will be the priority of an Accord-led government in Ekiti State. This will include prompt payment of salaries, taking care of the aged, the physically challenged and unemployed youths and provision of tools for artisans.
Ojo promised to work assiduously on the state’s internally generated revenue to discourage the incident of reliance on allocation from the federal government at all times.
He lamented and vowed to discourage the money siphoning tactics of past administration “where they embarked upon bogus projects that has not brought much financial growth or rewards to the state”.
In their reactions, the stakeholders prayed for his victory at the polls. They demanded for accessibility to him after winning elections.
They equally advised him to adhere strictly to the slogan of Accord which is oneness and progress.
They advised him against bringing in foreigners (Ekiti people abroad) into governance positions at the detriment of those that worked for the party’s victory.
They called for the protection of civil servants that may be interested in working for the success of Accord party.
Odeoba expressed optimism on the chances of the Accord Party occupying the Ado-Ekiti Government House in 2018.
He extolled the aspirant who had exhibited high level of maturity, openness, oneness and the propensity to be transparent in government.
