The Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye, has saluted the judiciary for affirming the primary that threw up Governor Biodun Oyebanji as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, saying her boss’ emergence was “God ordained” and in sync with the provisions of the law.
Afuye affirmed that the judiciary, as the fortress of democracy, had succeeded in laying to rest, the post primary legal tussle that turned Ekiti into a rumour mill and created phantom hope for the opponents, restating that the governor didn’t secure the ticket through the back channel.
The Deputy Governor spoke in Ikere Ekiti, on Wednesday, during a victory rally conducted round the town with APC political heavyweights to rejoice over the judgement of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja that struck out a case challenging Oyebanji’s emergence as the APC candidate for the June 20 poll.
The rally, that was accompanied by long convoy of vehicles, was attended by the Chairman of Ikere Local Government, Hon Egbejoda Adamolekun and his counterpart in Ikere West Local Council Development Area, Hon Rufus Olorunfemi and other APC high profile figures in the council.
The procession took off at the popular Odo Oja Pavilion amid tumultuous crowd and visited areas like Oke Osun, College road, Moshood road, Palace area, Odo Ise and other strategic sections of the town amid cheers by bystanders and other admirers.
Miffed by his disqualification by the APC National Working Committee, a governorship aspirant, Engr Kayode Ojo, had approached the court, seeking outright nullification of the APC primary, describing the process as a flagrant abuse of the provisions of the Electoral Act.
Addressing the ecstatic party faithful, Mrs Afuye, in a statement signed by her Special Assistant on Media, Victor Ogunje, posited that no amount of rumour peddling can remove the ticket from Governor Oyebanji.
Mrs Afuye reemphasized that his boss has served Ekiti selflessly, patriotically and sacrificially and deserves a second term by all standard of measurements .
The Deputy Governor was emphatic that the process culminating in Governor Oyebanji’s emergence fully complied with the provisions of the law and statute regulating the country’s electioneering process.
She appealed to Ikere electorate to rebuff rumour peddlers and vote massively for the governor in the impending poll, pledging more dividends of democracy should the governor retains the levers of power for the second term.
“We have heard all manners of rumours. But don’t let us fight with anybody. Engr Kayode Ojo and his supporters are members of APC. Let us embrace them. We are one big family.
“Governor Oyebanji believes in unity. He preached it and acted it. They too must toe the path of civility and respect their own party, by working with the governor.
“Governor Oyebanji is a lover of peace. He is an accommodating Governor. I know that very soon, they will come back fully into the fold. Governor Oyebanji has done well. He deserves the support of everybody.
“I plead with you, don’t allow infighting. You know our election is still coming. We need everybody to be on board. Let us continue to mobilise. By the grace of God, Victory is certain.
“They are cursing us on social media. But Nothing can change our victory by the grace of God. As leaders, we will continue to work with everybody. We won’t discriminate against them”.