As the electioneering campaign for the June 18 governorship election formally kicked off in Ekiti State on Monday, a member of the House of Assembly representing Ikole Constituency 2, Hon Adeoye Aribasoye, has predicted victory for the All Progressives Congress.
The Chairman, House Committee on Interparliamentary Relations, maintained that the candidate of the APC, Biodun Oyebanji, would record a resounding victory over other candidates, including Segun Oni of the Social Democratic Party.
Speaking with newsmen in Ado-Ekiti on Tuesday, Aribasoye assured Ekiti residents that the APC has no enemy to fight and has no reason to be desperate or violent over the impending poll, saying the campaign will be issue based as far as the party is concerned.
He described the purported popularity of the SDP candidate, Engr Segun Oni, as a figment of imaginations of his handlers and those opposed to APC winning the election, saying the former governor poses no threat to Oyebanji in any way.
The Human Rights Lawyer maintained that Oni handlers were only angling on imaginary popularity of their principal to confuse Ekiti voters, stating that reality will dawn on them on June 18 that the APC musters enough acceptability to win any election in the state.
“We are not in any way rattled by overraed popularity of the SDP candidate and former governor, Engr Segun Oni. We have done our homework and realised that Biodun Oyebanji remains the candidate to beat, while APC is the only acceptable party in Ekiti.
“The same aura of imaginary popularity was built around former governor Oni prior to the 2018 APC governorship primary, but governor Kayode Fayemi won to clinch the party’s ticket.
“After he defected to the PDP in his desperation to be governor at all cost, the same rasmatazz dogged his campaign prior to the 2022 governorship primary, but the lowly rated Bisi Kolawole defeated him before he hurriedly berthed at SDP and started flying the same unworkable tricks.
“APC is not a noise maker. Our candidate, Biodun Oyebanji, doesn’t pander to flippancy and unnecessary sloganeering, but on June 18, the whole Ekiti will know the party and candidate that have the stronghold on Ekiti.”
Dousing the fears being entertained by some people that the campaigns and election might be violent, Aribasoye said APC’s campaign will be civil and issued based.
The lawmaker appealed to Ekiti people not to tolerate politicians who are desperate to foist their candidate on the people at all cost, saying they should be vigilant about the activities of these desperate individuals
“Ekiti people were aware of those who were moving from one party to another in desperate search for a ticket they can use to destabilise the system. They know those who want to be governor by all means and definitely not APC candidate.
“Our people should watch out for them and reject them wholesomely on election day. Ekiti people have made up their minds to massively vote for Oyebanji and nothing, not even desperation by anyone or group, will thwart this resolve,” he said.