Ekiti Intensifying Reconciliation to Secure Election Victory 

*Party bigwigs, members rally support for Deputy speaker’s re-election

By Gbenga Sodeinde in Ado Ekiti

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has intensified internal reconciliation efforts to appease aggrieved members to face the 2023 general elections as a united body in order to achieve an overwhelming victory.

The state APC Chairman, Barrister Paul Omotoso, who disclosed this when he led other party bigwigs and members to rally support for the re-election bid of the Ekiti State House of Assembly Deputy Speaker Rt. Hon. Hakeem Jamiu held in Igbemo Ekiti in Ifedara Local Council Development Area of the state.

Omotoso said the Deputy Speaker’s re-election rally officially marked the flag-off of campaigns by the party to sell the party’s candidates for the Presidency, Senate, House of Representatives and House of Assembly to be held in February and March.

The well-attended event was graced by personalities including the immediate past Deputy Governor, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi; the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Olubunmi Adelugba; APC State Executive, House of Assembly members, Commissioners, Local Government Chairmen and other party leaders and members.

Speaking shortly before presenting the flag to Jamiu to represent the party as it’s candidate for Irepodun/Ifelodun State Constituency, Omotoso said reconciliation and integration of aggrieved contestants who lost out during the last primaries was key to ensuring total victory for the party at the polls which necessitated reaching out to them to sheathe their swords.

The state APC chair Omotoso who commended Jamiu for his loyalty to the party and quality representation for the people of his constituency saying the party is proud of him for various human development and poverty alleviation programmes he organized for his constituents.

Apparently impressed with the massive turnout at the flag off campaign, Omotoso urged party members across the state to be united to ensure a total victory for the party in the forthcoming elections starting with the presidential election. He predicted victory for the APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The APC chair said the party, having won the last governorship election, was not in any mood to back down on its quest for more electoral success ahead of the general elections declaring the party’s readiness to win all available federal and state legislative seats which he said would be capped with victory in the presidential poll.

Omotoso said: “We are approaching the coming elections as a united family, that is why we have been appealing to contestants who lost out in the last primaries to sheathe their swords and work for the party to win starting from the presidential and National Assembly election on February 25 and the House of Assembly election on March 11.

“APC will win all the seats available at the coming elections. It is not about any individual, it is about the party, our people and the future of our children. That is why we must vote for Bola Tinubu for Presidency, Opeyemi Bamidele for Senate, Olusola Fatoba for House of Representatives, Hakeem Jamiu and Femi Akindele for House of Assembly for the two state constituency seats.”

Former Deputy Governor Egbeyemi said the sight of a big crowd at the flag off rally most of whom were women attested to the popularity of Jamiu in his hometown in particular and the constituency in general describing the turnout as a signal for an impending victory for the candidate and the party at the election.

He said: “The massive crowd here shows that Hakeem Jamiu is popular among his people and he is very good at home. Hakeem Jamiu is a good son to me and by the grace of God, he is going to win again in the coming House of Assembly election. There will be no division in Constituency 2.

“Apart from his election, we must all work for the victory of Asiwaju Tinubu. In fact, all members of the Yoruba race must see Tinubu’s victory as their personal project. I don’t see any reason why any Yoruba person should not vote for Tinubu at next month’s presidential election which must be used to signal further victories for our party in other elections.”

House of Assembly Speaker Mrs Adelugba thanked the people of the Constituency for their support for Jamiu whom she described as a leading light in the state legislature urging them to ensure his re-election to continue the good work he has been doing.

She said: “I love Igbemo Ekiti so much and they have good sons and daughters and they are people one can be proud of. Hakeem Jamiu is reliable, committed, trustworthy and he is a prominent leader and a leading light in the Assembly. He has represented this Constituency very well in the Assembly.

“If you vote for him and he returns, he will be saddled with bigger assignments, he will do more and attract bigger things to this Constituency and the people will be better for it. We must ensure victory for the party at the coming elections starting with the presidential and National Assembly polls in February before the House of Assembly poll in March.”

Jamiu said it was on the strength of his performance since his election on 2019 that he is seeking for another term in the state legislature for more better life for the people of Igbemo, Orun, Afao, Araromi Obbo, Are, Iworoko, Esure, Eyio, Iropora, Ilomu and Awo.

He said: “My dear constituents, I humbly request for your votes once again and promise to do more than I have done in the last three and a half years. I want to assure the remaining communities that my impact will  be felt more in my second term especially in the area of paying counterpart funding for EKSCIDA projects. 

“Once any community in my constituency apply and secure a project with EKSCIDA, or any of the development partners, I will be ready to assist in terms of the counterpart funding, this is a promise. I am also happy to announce that work will soon commence on the Oye-Are road which is in this year’s budget. Effort is also going on to ensure that work resume on Esure- Eyio- Awo road.

“Once again, I canvass for your votes not only for me,  Hakeem Jamiu for House of  Assembly, but also for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed  Tinubu as President, Michael Opeyemi Bamidele as Senator and Olusola Fatoba as House of Representatives member. We will not disappoint you.”