By Uche AmunikeThe ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has retained dominance in Ekiti State as Abiodun Oyebanji, Ekiti State Governor-Elect emerged victorious at the just concluded 2022 Ekiti State governorship election, Saturday.
According to the results announced at collation centres of 10 Local Government Areas, Oyebanji polled altogether, 187,846 votes, while Segun Oni of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) came second with 82,211 votes, leaving Bisi Kolawole of the Peoples Democratic Party with with the third position at 67,457 votes.
Out of the 16 local governments in the state, Abiodun Oyebanji, Ekiti State new winner of the Guber poll, won in 15 of them, namely: ‘Emure, Ekiti South West, Oye, Ikere, Ekiti East, Ise/Orun, Ilejemeje, Odo-Osi, Irepodun/Ifelodun, Ikole, Gboyin, Ekiti West, Ado and Moba local government areas, while Bisi Kolawole won in Efon Local Council Area.
Speaking to pressmen at his Ikogosi residence, Sunday morning, shortly after the electoral umpire, INEC, announced him as the winner of the guber election, Oyebanji assured that he would reach out to his counterparts in order to learn from their wealth of experience, how to move the state forward, while thanking the other aspirants for their maturity and dignified manner in which they carried out their campaigns, which according to him contributed to the credibility of the electoral process.
His words: ‘I will be seeking an audience with you all in the coming days to benefit from your wealth of ideas on how to develop our dear state to complement our vision and blueprint for the accelerated development of a Ekiti.’
Oyebanji, while describing the electoral process as peaceful, free and fair also stated: ‘We also recognise all those who did not vote for us, but whose participation in this important democratic ritual of the election enriched the process, especially with the gracious manner in which you accepted the outcome, and helped maintain the peace during and after the exercise.’
‘We are hopeful that though we did not have your vote at this time, we would earn your trust and cooperation as we begin the journey of ‘Keeping Ekiti working.’
The obviously excited Abiodun Oyebanji, Ekiti state Governor-elect, won the gubernatorial election of Ekiti State which recorded a low turnout with less than 40% of the registered voters coming out to vote.
He averred that he will start immediately, to build on the legacy of his predecessors, adding that a transition committee would be set up to demonstrate their readiness.
He also expressed his condolences to the families of a deceased transporter who lost his life a few days before the election and went ahead to assure that he will call for a full investigation into the incident that led to the demise of the transporter while ensuring that justice is done.
Abiodun Oyebanji, Ekiti State Governor-Elect and his running mate, Monisade Afuye will both be inaugurated as Governor and Deputy Governor respectively, on October 16, 2022.
