• Super Admin
• 08 Mar, 2026

Ahead of the June 20, 2026 governorship and January 20, 2027 presidential elections, the Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has inaugurated a group of 5,000 community canvassers as a significant step towards a massive mobilisation of votes for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Governor Oyebanji at the event hinged the success of his administration to the massive support he received from Tinubu. Addressing the crowd at the colourful event, which took place at the Fajuyi pavilion, Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, on Friday, he emphasised the importance of the two elections at both the state and national level. He noted that the June 20, 2026 governorship election would stand as a litmus test of strength for the January 2027 presidential election. Governor Oyebanji also stressed the need for the party to consolidate its dominance in the state as well as nationally. He said he will continue to leverage on his government's achievements in infrastructural development, agriculture and food security, and welfare programmes among others to win over voters during the two elections. He added that the community canvassers are being inaugurated in preparation for a strong campaign, focusing on grassroots mobilisation, door-to-door engagement, and youth-driven strategies with each of the 5,000 canvassers targeting at least 25 voters each. The governor, who commended the genuineness and the patience of the canvassers, stressed the need for them to be connected with the electorate to enable them achieve their mandate of 25 voters per canvasser. He said he was confident that APC will corner no fewer than 500,000 votes in the governorship election and at least 700,000 votes for President Tinubu in 2027. While also affirming that elections have gone scientific, he posited that the person to person communication would allow the canvassers identify the voters before election and be able to ensure that they all come out physically during the election. Oyebanji said: "You are not APC members, you are volunteers, people that were brought together by conviction and by the need to continue with the government that means well. "You have put yourself together, nobody has contributed money towards this. "You have put resources together to put this in place. "And on behalf of my party and the national leader, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu... and we are grateful to him. "I listened to the DG's speech and she said something that touched my heart. "When I was being sworn in as governor of Ekiti State three and a half years ago, I made a promise that I will sit with you, I will listen to you, and I will be accessible and God has helped me to keep those promises. "One thing that is clear to me, and I need to tell all of us in political business, is that democracy has an expiry date. "Every democracy will expire every four years, and there will be a need for a renewal of that mandate. "If you are conscious that your own term will expire one day and you'll need to go back to the people, you will listen to them, you will see them, and you will be accessible to them. "And today, what we are reaping is the benefits and the gains of accessibility. "I listened to all our speakers when they said we have performed and I said yes we have performed, but as a government in Ekiti State, there are two people that we need to give glory to. "God almighty for making this possible and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his support for our government in Ekiti State. "Everything you have seen in the state as achievements wouldn't have been possible without the support, the guidance, and the advice of the President. "He is a father to all the governors in this country and that is why those governors mostly are now falling in and coming into APC because we have a leader that's intentional. "For the first time in the history of this country, we have a president that wanted to be president and became president. "So, I can assure you that we continue to fire to deliver on our promises to Ekiti people. "And like one of the speakers said, if you have a president that has done well today, the only way we can say thank you to him is to come out on June 20 to test the microphone at the governorship election with 500,000 votes. "That is the minimum we are expecting. "So the President will now know that when it comes to January next year, we will go out and do 700,000 votes. "Winning the elections is not the problem. "The margins and the numbers we are able to make out for the presidential election, we don't want to leave anybody behind." Earlier, the convener of the event and the Director-General of the Bureau of Community Communication, Mary Oso-Omotoso, said the gathering was not just about politics of election but in support of a trusted leadership that has positively affected and touched lives of many and need to reciprocate that good gesture with initiative capable of returning the governor and president to power. Oso-Omotoso, who disclosed that the canvassers were drawn from communities, groups, and grassroots structures that have made up their minds by conviction, added that the initiative has its roots in genuine grassroots support with some generous hearts donating to make the event possible to achieve collective community progress. According to her: "What we celebrate today in Ekiti is not merely governance. "We celebrate a rare kind of leadership that you exude and exemplify. "You do not only run an inclusive government, you run a humanitarian government, a government that has saved many from untimely death through timely intervention, a government that has revived forgotten destinies, a government that has restored hope where despair once lived." In their separate goodwill messages, representatives of private sector development organisations, Olabanji Ojo; artisans, Sunday Ogunyebi; Christian Community and CAN Chairman, Rev. Dr Aribasoye; Muslim Community, Sheik Jamiu Kewulere; People With Disabilities, Agboola Foluso; and non-indigenous ethnic group, Alhaji Sheu Sampam, commended the governor for his altruistic postures. They promised to come out in their numbers to massively vote for Governor Oyebanji and President Tinubu by intensifying voter outreach, engaging stakeholders as well as mobilising support at the community and faith levels. Also at the event were the Deputy Governor, Chief Monisade Afuye; Speaker, Ekiti State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adeoye Aribasoye; members of the House of Assembly and State Executive Council. Source: https://theeagleonline.com.ng/oyebanji-unveils-5000-canvassers-for-tinubus-re-election/