By Oludamisi Ojo
Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, on Thursday said the All progressives Congress will use the June 18 governorship poll to open the window of victory for the presidential candidate of the party in the 2023 election, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Fayemi, who was given a heroic welcome to Ekiti after he participated in the presidential primary of the party held on Tuesday, said he unexpectedly stepped down from the race for Tinubu to preserve and fortify Yoruba’s unity and cohesion.
Fayemi, who was welcomed from the Ondo-Ekiti border town by APC members, was cheered by the crowd at Igbara Odo, Ilawe, Odo, and Ado Ekiti, as part of the welcome rally organized for him by the party after the presidential primary.
At the shadow poll that took place in Abuja with 23 presidential contestants, Fayemi stepped down for Tinubu, who had now emerged as the party’s candidate.
Addressing the party supporters at the Fajuyi Pavilion, in Ado Ekiti, Fayemi said the party was resolute to deliver Ekiti to APC, by ensuring that the governorship candidate, Biodun Oyebanji, wins the June 18 poll and send a signal that Tinubu is well fortified to win the coming presidential poll.
Fayemi applauded Ekiti delegates and party faithful across Nigeria for demonstrating enormous support for him during his consultations to states, saying the success of the shadow election, had proved the bookmakers and naysayers, who predicted doom for APC wrong.
He said “I thank all our members for this rousing welcome. I never knew this would happen to welcome me back home. They may say Ekiti people are stubborn, but we are very honorable.
“From next week Saturday, we will continue to see the effect of my action. Asiwaju’s winning will begin from Ekiti and Osun governorship elections. Before 12noon on June 18, the news will be filtering out that Biodun Oyebanji has won. Those who hate him are now getting weary.
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“By Tuesday next week, the Presidential candidate of our party and incoming President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the outgoing President, Muhammadu Buhari, governors, and bigwigs in APC will be in Ekiti during the grand finale of our party to mobilize for Oyebanji.
“In this battle, we are going, don’t fear anything. There is nothing to fear. Those who are threatening will do nothing. From one village to another, farmstead to another, we will reach everywhere to campaign for Oyebanji. I am now back home fully”, Fayemi said.
Justifying his presidential ambition, Fayemi posited that he decided to veer into the race with that unflagging belief that he possesses sterling qualities to be president and not out of overambition or unbridled propensity to seek elective positions.
He said “In Nigeria today, they knew that good thing can come out of our Nazareth in Ekiti. Some of our people were not happy with the way things went, but God knew about it.
“The most significant thing there was that, God sent us on a journey that we should ensure that Yoruba witnesses no disunity so that we can have progress, peace, and development.
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“It was also part of our mission for Nigeria to be united and prosper and that was what I went to do in that presidential convention and we did the job and the accolades are coming.
“I thank all party members and the entire Ekiti, including our royal fathers for their support for me. I wanted the Southwest to bring home something. We didn’t want a blockade and I did t want the name of our state to be mentioned negatively in Yorubaland.
“Nothing is bad if we have ambition, but there can be victory in what appears like a loss, and there can be a success in what people said is a failure. We must act well. for the success of Nigeria to be consolidated.
