The All Progressives Congress (APC) Deputy National Chairman (South), Chief Segun Oni and a Chieftain of the party, Dr. Olusegun Osinkolu, have predicted that the outcome of the 2018 governorship election in Ekiti State will take Governor Ayo Fayose by surprise.
The party chieftains boasted that the APC will use every legal and constitutional strategy to oust the governor and prevent his anointed candidate and the deputy governor, Prof Kolapo Olusola from taking over the reign of power.
They spoke in Ayede Ekiti in Oye Local Government area of the State during a Christmas get-together organized by Osinkolu for APC members in the five local governments in Ekiti North Senatorial District on Saturday.
Stakeholders at the event, including the State Acting Chairman of the party, Mrs. Kemi Olaleye endorsed Osinkolu as the senatorial candidate for Ekiti North in 2019.
Oni, a governorship aspirant, who is also from the district, said the APC must be in control of power in Ekiti to complement the anti-corruption and rebranding policies of President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime.
“Let me thank Dr. Osinkolu for his mobilization drives, but I want to assure him and all of you that by the time we will celebrate here next year, our party will be in power”, he predicted.
Osinkolu said the disastrous outcome of the 2014 elections, where Dr. Kayode Fayemi lost in all the 16 local government areas was an opener to the party.
He said what the party needed at this time is unity and transparency to overcome its challenges, describing Fayose as a good politician that must be marched in strategies for APC to win in 2018.
“Governor Fayose understands politics and he played it better than us, but he is not unbeatable. With the promise by our national leaders that the governorship primaries will be free and fair, I can boldly say that the outcome of that election will definitely shock Governor Fayose and many Nigerians.
“I am a Democrat, I don’t believe in rigging or resort to self-help but I believe if we put our house in order, use the right candidate and strategies, we can easily win.
“That is why we must listen to what the electorate wanted and not what few leaders in the party want. We must listen to the teachers, market men, and women, Okada riders, farmers, civil servants so that we can come up with the right candidate that can win for us.
“It is not easy to play opposition in a State like Ekiti. We have tasted power and we are now in the opposition and we can conclude that it is better to be in power and this is the more reason why we have to be united and focused for that 2018 dream to be a reality”, he advised.
Osinkolu appealed to Fayose to pay the salaries of workers and stop subjecting Ekiti people to hardship.
“Ekiti is purely monolithic, hanging on civil service structure and once that area of the economy is affected, everybody will be affected.
“I plead with him not to divert the coming bailout. Let him use it for our civil servants, teachers and local government workers for life to become more comfortable for our people”, Osinkolu said.
