Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, has described the achievements of Ekiti Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, as unprecedented in the history of the state, declaring that the governor’s record of performance has positioned him for an easy victory in the June 20 governorship election.
Bamidele, who was inaugurated on Monday in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, as Chairman of the 57-man Ekiti All Progressives Congress (APC) 2026 Governorship Election Campaign Council, said the forthcoming election would serve as a referendum on the administration of Oyebanji, whose development initiatives and governance style, he noted, have earned widespread acceptance across the state.
He expressed confidence that the ruling APC would secure a landslide victory in the poll.
According to him, the governor has demonstrated visionary leadership and commitment to the welfare of Ekiti people since assuming office, adding that his administration has delivered development strides that stand out in the state’s political history.
The senator representing Ekiti Central Senatorial District said, “The achievements recorded by Governor Biodun Oyebanji are unprecedented in the history of Ekiti State.
” Since assuming office, he has consciously paddled the oars of governance with courage and vision, with confidence and synergy, and with patriotism and unalloyed commitment to the well-being of over 3.8 million residents of the state.”
He maintained that the governor’s performance has strengthened the APC’s popularity in Ekiti, predicting that the June 20 governorship election would be “a walkover for the All Progressives Congress.”
Beyond the state election, the Senate Leader disclosed that the APC in the South-west had already mapped out strategies to mobilise at least 10 million votes for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 general elections.
He said the party leadership had begun a comprehensive mobilisation drive across the region to expand voter participation and strengthen its electoral base ahead of the polls.
“As a party of conviction and vision, we have set a target ahead of the 2027 elections. We have designed a mobilisation plan to deliver at least 10 million votes for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the six states of the South-west alone,” he said.
He therefore urged party leaders and members to intensify grassroots mobilisation by encouraging eligible citizens to participate in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise and ensure they obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).
The Senate Leader noted that despite Ekiti’s population of about 3.8 million, only 987,647 voters were registered as of 2023, stressing the need for aggressive voter registration to boost the state’s electoral strength.
According to him, “If we are truly committed to this task, we can increase our enrolment by 50 per cent before the suspension of the exercise in August 2026.
” To achieve this, we must work together as one indivisible party and approach the election in the spirit of harmony, unity and oneness. That is the path to victory.”
He urged party faithful to adopt a house-to-house and community-to-community mobilisation strategy.
Responding, Governor Oyebanji expressed appreciation to the senate leader and party stakeholders for their support, assuring that his re-election campaign would remain issue-based.
The governor said his campaign would focus on policies, programmes, and development plans for Ekiti rather than personal attacks on political opponents.
He also urged candidates of other political parties to comply strictly with the provisions of the Electoral Act and relevant constitutional guidelines to ensure a peaceful and credible electoral process.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by the Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, Chief Monisade Afuye; Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adeoye Aribasoye, Chairman of the Board of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Senator Dayo Adeyeye, members of the National Assembly, and other party stakeholders.