Oyebanji to APC: Help me break second term reproach in Ekiti
Ekiti state governor Biodun Abayomi has appealed to the leaders of the party to help him in breaking the ‘reproach’ of second term in the state.
Checks revealed that no former Governor in the Ekiti state had gotten two term in office unbroken.
Speaking with newsmen shortly after he submitted his nomination forms for the second term at the party’s national secretariat, Wednesday in Abuja, Governor Oyebanji described the situation in the state as a reproach.
The nomination form submission ceremony brought together all the political heavyweights in the state, party National Working Committee (NWC) and many other party members from Ekiti.
“There ‘is a request we are pleading our leaders, that is why we have come and this is very dear to the heart of everybody from Ekiti state, since the creation of the Ekiti state, no government has done a second term. No governor in the Ekiti state has done a second term in a stretch.
“They will go and they will come back. It has retarded the development of the state.
“If the people have chosen to come in this number, to plead with you, to help us remove this reproach from us as a state, we see it as a jinx that must be broken. We see it as a reproach that has retarded our growth as a state. We don’t want current gains to be reversed.
“We have absolute confidence in the ability of national leadership to conduct a free and fair primary. We also recognize the rights of anybody, a loyal party member, who is qualified to contest. I said so, loyal party member.”
While assuring that he will subject himself to party primary, the governor said:” We have no fear. We have no cause to fear, you know. But the APC at national level should know, like you have said, this is precursor to 2027.”
When asked to clarify allegation of not carrying members along and his relationship with opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) with former Governor Kayode Fayemi, the Governor said: “The beauty of democracy is freedom of expression. People are entitled to their opinions, but the massive show of support we have here today does not reflect a divided party.
“Former governors, deputy governors, National Assembly members, local government chairmen, and other stakeholders are united behind the APC in Ekiti State. Ours is one of the strongest chapters in the country.
“As for my relationship with former Governor Fayemi, it remains cordial. He is actively involved in party activities and will attend our forthcoming stakeholders’ meeting in Ekiti. Talk of division is mere propaganda. Ekiti APC remains united and indivisible.”
Responding, the APC National Vice Chairman, South-West, Iseacs Kekemeke told the governor that “We are umpires, we will do what you say.
“We have seen you and we have heard you. We have never witnessed a submission of form like this before
Ekiti is not new to me, I know the leadership. Go and do in Ekiti state what you have done there today for the 25&27th.
“We must demonstrate by next year that Ekiti is one.
The gov and his team came to make a statement, and that statement had been loudly made and we seen and heard you clearly.”
