BY ABIODUN NEJO
A mammoth crowd of All Progressives Congress (APC) members and supporters, as well as friends and well-wishers of APC governorship candidate in Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, gathered at the Oluyemi Kayode Stadium, Ado Ekiti, as Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie Oyegun, formally unveiled the party flagbearer for the July 14, 2018 election.
Osinbajo urged the people of Ekiti State to vote massively for the APC candidate for the election, Dr. Fayemi, describing him as the best man for the job.
The VP, who advised Ekiti people to join the league of progressive states of Osun, Ogun, Lagos, Oyo and Ondo of the southwest region, urged them not to be distracted but be focused on progress by voting for Fayemi, who he described as harbinger of hope and prosperity that Ekiti desperately needed.
Among APC top shots at the official flag off of the Ekiti governorship campaign are national leader Ahmed Tinubu; Chief Bisi Akande; Governors Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi State); Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo); Rauf Aregbesola (Osun); Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun); Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo); Yaya Bello (Kogi); Mohammed Badaru (Jigawa); Kashim Shema (Borno), Simon Lalong (Plateau), and Fatai Abdulfatai (Kwara).
Others include Secretary to Government of the Federation, Mustapha Boss; former Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole; Ministers Lai Mohammed (Information); Mansud Dan Ali (Defence); and Abubakar Bawa Bwari (State, Mines and Steel Development), among others
The VP said: “Fayemi will bring the peace and prosperity that Ekiti needs. 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 sideway, 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 because the PDP has outlived its usefulness”, Osinbajo said.
Oyegun, who described the July 14 Ekiti election as a done deal for the party, said: “Immediately I entered Ekiti, I could feel and smell that resounding victory we will record on July 14. Fayemi is the best man for the job. He will do Ekiti proud and restore honour and dignity to your state.”
The Vice President and Oyegun also used the opportunity to officially welcome former Minister of State for Works, Prince Adedayo Adeyeye; former State Attorney General, Mr. Owoseni Ajayi and House of Assembly Deputy Leader, Hon. Adediran Alagbada, who recently defected from PDP to APC.
Tinubu, in his brief speech, harped on the need for change in Ekiti State through the election and sought 100 per cent votes for Fayemi in the election.
He said: “If you really want progress, what is the essence of you staying here from morning without having a PVC. Ekiti won’t go back to sadness and poverty. The PVCs represents your red card on the day of election. I want you to give PDP a red card on the day of election”.
Former Ekiti State governors Segun Oni and Adeniyi Adebayo, while canvassing votes for APC and its candidate, harped on the need to rescue the state through the July 14 election.
Oni said the South West states that dumped PDP for APC had reasons for such decision, saying: ‘Ekiti should take a cue by joining the party at the centre.
Bagudu, who is the Chairman of APC National Campaign Council for Ekiti governorship election, said Nigeria had been in safe hands since 2015 when President Buhari and Osinbajo took over, urging Ekiti to join the moving train in this coming election.
The governor said: “If Ogun, Ondo, Lagos, Oyo, Osun, Plateau and Kebbi could embrace APC, Ekiti must do same, because we represent progress.”
Fayemi, while addressing supporters promised that all the programmes initiated by his administration but abrogated by the present government would be restored in the interest of the populace.
He listed the programmes to include Youth in Agriculture, Youth VolunteerS, the Ekiti State Traffic Management Agency, Social Security Scheme and other landmark programmes, which he said would be revamped for the benefit of Ekiti people.
Fayemi said: “Governor Ayo Fayose said he wanted continuity, I know Ekiti won’t subscribe to continuity of poverty, wanton neglect, fraud and pauperization of our people in the name of governance.”