The ambition of Chief Segun Oni of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) received a boost on Wednesday as six political parties endorsed him ahead of Saturday’s governorship election in the state.
The 6 political parties and their leaders were: Action Alliance (AA), Mr Lanre Anifowoshe; African Action Congress (AAC), Mr Adekolu; Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Prince Adeuyi; All Peoples Grand Alliance (APGA), Mr Rufus Afolabi; Youth Democratic Party of Nigeria (YDPN); Mr Segun Balogun and Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Mr Adebayo Ademola Emmanuel.
The adoption of Engineer Segun Oni was contained in a statement by the spokesman of a group, Ekiti Build Back Better (EBBB), Idowu Adelusi. The governorship candidates of the 6 political parties have also stepped down for Oni, the SDP governorship flag-bearer.
The leaders of the six political parties, while pledging their support for Oni, said: “We are here to pledge our support for Segun Oni. “We are using this forum to tell members and supporters of the six political parties to thumbprint the symbol of SDP which is a white horse in the Saturday, June 18, election.”
They said their decision was in the best interest of the Ekiti people and urged their members to embark on a house-to-house campaign for Engineer Segun Oni.
Welcoming the 6 political party leaders, Oni thanked them and their governorship candidates for their decision to support him in the governorship election.
Engineer Segun Oni said rescuing the people from “the jaws of the oppressors of Ekiti” is a joint project of all Ekiti people and assured the leaders that they would be counted among the group of ‘Ekiti Koya, Oo To Ge.’
The SDP candidate seized the opportunity to urge the electorate to vote en masse for him in the governorship election coming up in the state on Saturday.
He assured that the Federal Government had assured adequate security for voters by deploying security personnel to the state to guarantee a free environment for them to cast their votes without fear of harassment and intimidation by political thugs.
Oni further stated: “I want Ekiti people to come out en mass on Saturday, June 18, to vote for me and elect me as their governor.
“There will be adequate security for you. The security personnel will not allow intimidation and harassment of the people to freely exercise their voting rights.
“The desire to remove the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government and free Ekiti from abject poverty, backwardness and free government workers from perpetual slavery is a joint project of all us.
“We all have roles to play. Don’t stay back. Be counted to be among the group of ‘Ekiti Koya, Oo To Ge’.
“You need to use your vote, which is your power, to determine your future. Don’t sell your vote. If you sell your vote to the APC, you have called for another four years of suffering and slavery.