Vice President Kashim Shettima has enlisted the support of traditional rulers in Ekiti State towards ensuring victory for Governor Biodun Oyebanji in Saturday’s governorship election.
Speaking during an interactive session with the monarchs under the aegis of the Ekiti State Council of Traditional Rulers at Lady Jibowu Hall, Government House, Ado Ekiti on Tuesday, the Vice President said the support of the royal fathers would be needed by Oyebanji to achieve a historic back-to-back victory for the first time in the state’s political history.
Shettima said the assemblage of top echelon of governance in Nigeria which he led to Ekiti State to canvass votes for Oyebanji at the All Progressives Congress (APC) final mega rally showed the seriousness which the party attached to the Ekiti governorship poll.
The Vice President said “the whole Nigeria is assembled here (Ekiti)” l led, on behalf of the President, a delegation that included Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau, 15 APC governors, Senators, House of Representatives members, ministers, APC National Chairman, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, senior party leaders and other political office holders at the federal level.”
He stressed that President Bola Tinubu holds Ekiti in high esteem which accounted for his magnanimity in ensuring that indigenes of the state occupy key positions in his administration including the Chief of Defence Staff, Lt.-Gen. Olufemi Oluyede; Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr Ola Olukoyede; Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele; Minister of Solid Minerals, Mr Dele Alake; Managing Director of Federal Housing Authority, Hon Oyetunde Ojo and Chairman of South West Development Commission, Senator Olubunmi Adetumbi.
Shettima emphasised that the APC would not be complacent and would work hard for victory for Oyebanji, noting that the Obas’ support would be needed because of their influence in their domains, their visibility in the grassroots and their value in achieving the desired victory for the incumbent governor and his party.
The Vice President recalled that Ekiti’s result for the 2023 presidential election was the first to be declared in the whole federation with President Tinubu garnering 201,494 votes representing 67 percent of the total votes cast which had been declared for over 24 hours before results from other states started coming in and served as a mark of affection by the Ekiti people for the President and his party.
Describing security as a continuous process, Shettima enjoined the Obas to be more watchful and be involved in intelligence gathering to assist the security agencies in defeating insecurity and fostering peace building in their domains.
Earlier in his remarks, Chairman of the State Council of Traditional Rulers, Oba Adejimi Adu Alagbado, who described Oyebanji as a good material to showcase, praised Tinubu for his support to the Governor which had made him to achieve monumental success in transforming the state to the admiration of all.
Oba Alagbado, who is the Ogoga of Ikere Ekiti, said “the Kabiyesis are in total support of the governor”.
He also reiterated their support for the re-election aspiration of Tinubu, expressing confidence that both Ekiti governorship election and the 2027 general elections would be peaceful.
