The Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye, has commended the youth for proposing a 10,000-man March to buoy support base for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Biodun Oyebanji ahead of the 2026 and 2027 elections.
Mrs Afuye said the action signposted that Ekiti youth are politically savvy to recognize the leaders are going mileage in terms of policies and programmes to advance their welfare and security.
The Deputy Governor gave the commendation on Tuesday, while receiving the team PBAT/BAO and the leaders of the proposed march in her office in Ado Ekiti.
The planned March is slated for January 23 and would begin at the All Progressives Congress secretariat in Ajilosun Area and terminate at Fajuyi Park, Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State Capital.
Addressing the youth leaders and organisers of the programme, Mrs Afuye, in a statement issued by her Special Assistant on Media, Victor Ogunje, saluted them for trying to sustain good governance in Ekiti and Nigeria by their support for Tinubu and Oyebanji.
She added that President Tinubu and Governor Oyebanji had invested hugely in the education sector and in empowerment of youths, thereby describing the planned march as well merited and deserved.
Mrs Afuye assured that her boss won’t neglect the youth population in politics and governance, saying that the second term shall be more rewarding for them with the quantum of support they are exhibiting .
The Deputy Governor underscored the imperative of the youth mobilising their colleagues across the state to participate in the electronic registration being midwifed by the All Progressives Congress, saying this remained the best avenue to solidify the ruling party and vote massively for the two leaders in the coming elections.
“The e-registration of APC is very important for the youth. You have shown commitment to support Governor Oyebanji and you have to up your campaign, because don’t let us behave as if we don’t have opposition. We don’t need to look down on anybody or party.
“I thank you that you recognized these two leaders and for being ready to protect their interests. We must work hard. I commend your courage. You are only building yourselves for the future with this. Our youth shall be recognized in politics and governance of this state. It is not going to be a case of used and dumped”.
Earlier, the Coordinator of the team, Mr Oluwafemi Kasali, said the march was primarily conceived to mobilise the youth to get their Permanent Voter Cards and also register with APC, to be able to work for the reelection of President Tinubu and Governor Oyebanji.
“We the youth of Ekiti State recognized what these two great leaders have done for the youth population in Nigeria. The march is to tell our people to get their PVCs to be able to vote for Governor Oyebanji in this June 20 election and for President Tinubu in 2027.
“In the coming Ekiti election, we want to win all the polling units and have a record we never had before. What the governor and his deputy have done are visible to all of us. You have been able to prove that the dividends of democracy can be enjoyed in Nigeria.
“During the march, we will tell our people that the APC remains the best and they should register with our party”.
Speaking in the same fashion, the Chairman of the mobilisation team and Special Assistant on Youth Matters, Mr Maxwell Olu Ajayi, praised President Tinubu and Governor Oyebanji for providing educational and infrastructural support for Nigerian youth to portray the ruling party as being youth- centric.