BY ABIODUN NEJO
Former member of House of Representatives, Hon Opeyemi Bamidele, has emerged the senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State for Ekiti Central Senatorial District.
The former federal lawmaker got 61,823 votes to defeat the incumbent Senator, Fatimat Raji-Rasaki, who polled 3289 in the primary election.
Chairman of the APC National Working Committee on Senatorial Primaries in Ekiti State, Mr Ibrahim Sule, announced the results at the party state secretariat in Ado Ekiti on Saturday.
Former National Assembly member, Senator Olu Adetumbi, won the Ekiti North senatorial ticket with a total of 2,763 while Prince Dayo Adeyeye won in the South with a total vote of 51,443.
Former Chief of Staff to the govenor-elect, Mr Yemi Adaramodu, also won the House of Representatives ticket in Ekiti South Federal Constituency 1.
Responding to his victory, Bamidele said the direct primaries conducted in Ekiti State had afforded every member the right of participation as entrenched in democratic ideals and had as well saved the party the ill-feelings among party members which imposition would have brewed.
He praised former Governor Niyi Adebayo and the Governor-elect, Dr Kayode Fayemi for standing by him and preventing some powerful individuals from imposing Raji-Rasaki on the party.
Bamidele, praised party members for exhibiting so much love for him, urging them to replicate the gesture on February 16, 2019 when the presidential and National Assembly elections would be conducted by the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC).
He said: Let me also say that I am indebted, so indebted to the people of Ekiti Central Senatorial District, because some can’t queue in the sun since morning and I will forget him when I get to the Senate, that would be tantamount to a sin against God and humanity.
“Let me assure Senator Raji-Rasaki that I will continue to hold her in high esteem. We are in this party together and there was need for us to coalesce efforts and build a virile party of our choice.
“It is history that repeated itself, because I succeeded her in the House of Representatives and the same thing is about to happen in the Senate; I give glory to God.
“I want her to exhibit the spirit of sportsmanship by working for me in the coming election in the interest of Ekiti and our party, APC.
“I am of the conviction that my being voted as the Senatorial
candidate was borne out of the need to have popular candidates that can enhance the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari in Ekiti in the 2019 presidential election.
“I will work harder to secure victory for APC in that election, particularly engaging the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Barrister Obafemi Adewale, in constructive and issue based campaign, since the mission of the two of us is to represent our people well and make their lives better. APC victory will be unstoppable in the 2019 elections”, Bamidele stated.
