As Ekiti State braces for the June 18 governorship poll, the Director General of BAO Campaign Organisation, Cyril Fayusi, on Sunday attended a meeting with the Ido-Ekiti monarch, the Olojudo of Ido, Oba Ayorinde Ilori Faboro, where plans for strategy and voter education took centre stage to ensure “total victory” for the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji.
The meeting held in the palace of the monarch had in attendance top chiefs in Ido-Ekiti to deliberate and strategise on what they called ” Ido Agenda” for “total victory” for Oyebanji at poll.
The meeting was also called to deliberate on plans for a peaceful election to ensure success for Oyebanji with special attention on the need to use Oyebanji’s election as a plank for the success of their son, Fasuyi, in next year Senatorial election.
Oba Faboro pleaded with Ido-Ekiti leaders not to put the town in shame, stressing that as the leaders in their quarters, they should go home to mobilise for total victory on election day.
The monarch counselled voters to keep their voter’s cards to enable them vote on election day, stressing that it is also important to know and understand voting rules to ensure that their votes count.
The Olojudo said it is important to consider the advantages of supporting the Ido Agenda by giving bloc votes to Oyebanji in solidarity with Fasuyi as an illustrious son of Ido-Ekiti. He urged residents to stay at home on June 18 to ensure massive votes for Oyebanji in support of his director general.
The Chairman of Ido-Osi Local Government, Sola Ogunsina, urged the chiefs to educate their people on how to vote, saying that what to look for on election day is not Oyebanji’s photograph but the broom symbol of APC and ensure their fingerprints are carefully registered within the voting box to guide against voiding of their votes.
He also counselled that illiterate voters should seek the assistance of their educated relations if they are confused on the modes of voting to safeguard their votes against being voided. He also counselled voters to seek the assistance of polling agents and INEC officials where necessary to avoid confusion and misunderstanding during voting period.
The chiefs spoke in turns, praying for Fasuyi for success in his assignment to deliver victory for Oyebanji, even as they said that other “very important Ido-Ekiti personalities” would meet mid-week to finalise arrangemenr for total victory to ensure that good grounds are prepared for Fasuyi’s success in the Senatorial election early next year.
They described Fasuyi as a special son of Ido-Ekiti who had contributed greatly to the development of the town, including assisting women and other residents in times of need.
They said the election is not about party affiliation but Ido-Ekiti Agenda with potential to benefit the town in many ways if Oyebanji emerges victorious at polls.
They warned against complacency, stressing that voters must come out enmasse to ensure the success of “Ido-Ekiti Agenda”.
Specifically calling for mass participation in the voting, Chief Adewa Kolade pointed out the importance of voting strength in seeking support of government in the sharing of benefits, explaining that such was the factor responsible for some towns with high votes benefitting more than other towns with low votes.
He added that the June 18 election is significant in two ways, explaining that it is an election that Oyebanji must win to pave the way for the success of their son, Fasuyi, in the National Assembly election early next year.
Fasuyi, who expressed delight that over 19, 000 voters had collected their voter’s cards so far out of 27,000 voters registered in the town, said victory for Oyebanji is a plan for future development, explaining that Ido people were so grateful to the party leadership for his Senatorial ticket victory, hence the massive mobilisation by the community to ensure victory for APC.
Fasuyi urged voters who have not collected their cards to go to INEC office to collect them.
Those at the meeting included chiefs, top women leaders, traditional practitioners, hunters and age groups leaders, among others, who vowed to block all farm roads to ensure “total presence” of voters in town at poll units during the election.
Wole Olujobi
Deputy Director, Media and Publicity,
BAO Campaign Organisation
June 12, 2022