Gbenga Sodeinde in Ado Ekiti
Ahead of the 2026 governorship poll in Ekiti State the All Progressives Congress(APC) party stakeholders including the Leader of the Senate, Opeyemi Bamidele, in the Central Senatorial District of the state have unanimously endorsed the second term bid of the incumbent Governor, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji.
The APC stakeholders are party members from the five local governments areas of Ado,Ireporun/Ifelodun,Ekiti West,Ijero and Efon.
Speaking at the forum, tagged: Leaders And Stakeholders’ meeting/Endorsement Programme, in Ado–Ekiti, Opeyemi Bamidele who is representing the District at the upper chamber of the National Assembly, said:”All we are doing here today is that we are holding our usual party meeting which which we used to do indoor. We are just repeating and re-emphasizing what we have said concerning the second term in office of Governor Oyebanji.
“We appreciate continuity. Ekiti has not had it so good. As you can see, people that are here, are those that would do the party primaries.”
“All the developments that had taken place from the time of former governors Adeniyi Adebayo,Ayodele Fayose,Segun Oni,Kayode Fayemi are being consolidated by the incumbent Governor Oyebanji.
“The biggest and greatest project done by is his decision to have brought all to unite under one platform tagged BAO Unity Magic for the development of the state and through this he has brought governance to Ekiti people.
“We congratulate BAO for uniting Ekiti. So, we are here to celebrate him. You can see now see that under BAO,Ekiti is progressing. On assumption of office, the governor gave us lists of projects that we law makers at the National Assembly would help make necessary support and right now, in my district, more than seven stadia have been listed to be done across the areas.
“This partnership is working for us and no lawmaker is afraid to come home. We are doing this because the governor is encouraging us. Mr. Governor, we ask for continuity. We have come here today to say continue with your good works.
However, other notable party chieftains including Senator Babafemi Ojudu, former Deputy Governor, Prof. Modupe Adelabu, Rt. Hon. Tope Ademiluyi, Hon. Wumnmi Ogunlola,Hon Sola Fatoba amongst others spoke glowingly about the second term in office of Governor Oyebanji as all asked for his endorsement.
While the former Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Tope Ademiluyi moved the motion for the endorsement of the governor and Prof. Modupe Adelabu declared him(Oyebanji) as the sole candidate for the 2026 governorship election on the party platform.
Governor Oyebanji, in his response to the endorsement, said:”We are still grateful to all our leaders, all our leaders of what we are going to learn. On behalf of myself and Her Excellency the Deputy Governor, we are still grateful for the follow-up of the host. We are very humbled, we are very moved, we are very touched by this endorsement.
“I don’t know what to say, only that I bless you from the bottom of my heart. What is happening today is history in motion. Sitting down there, listening to all our leaders speaking about where they have been in the last two years.
“I will tell you all the things I have learned. I told the party members, for offering the position for us to serve you. And I told the President of the Central Public Employment Area.
“I said that we will not be leaving. We will not be leaving. We will not be leaving.
“We are still grateful to the President, the Secretary of the President. All of these achievements we are living to remember as possible. And I hope I can be there too, because as the President, he believed the most in his support of our administration, and he was bold and hard-fought to support us.
“It is in the form of his hard-fought that we made a successful ability to reach this point. And I thank the members of the National Assembly, under the leadership of Leader of the States, Senator Nathan O’Connor. And I thank you so much, sir, for being a partner and partner.
“I thank all members of the Senate and House of Representatives, all of you, for your support. I thank the members of the House of Assembly. It is in attendance people get to speak up for their support.
“And I thank the National Assembly, all the representatives of the Assembly, all the representatives of the House of Representatives, all their leaders, for their support. And I say thank you to all of my partners. When I was young, I knew the policy, I served, I was born, I lived in Kenya, and I started work.
“And in the last 20 years, I’ve served you in community, I’ve served you in public, I’ve served you in all kinds of ways, and I’ve served you in all kinds of ways.
