The All Progressives Congress in the South-West geopolitical zone of Nigeria 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.”
Online reports that Oyebanji emerged the winner of the governorship election held in Ekiti State on Saturday, defeating candidates of about 13 registered political parties. The victory also made him the first sitting governor in the state to secure re-election.
Afolabi said, “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 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.
“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.
Afolabi also urged South-West stakeholders to revive the developmental ideals of the region’s founding fathers, referencing the leadership philosophy of 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/60s, 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 increase their support in future elections, particularly for the APC and President Bola Tinubu.
“When they do this, greater dividends of democracy would come to them, and they would have their names etched in gold,” he added.