Gov. Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State has appealed for peaceful conduct of the June 20 governorship election, saying his re-election ambition is not worth the blood of any citizen of the state.
Oyebanji, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), made the appeal on Friday while addressing campaign rallies in Emure, Ise/Orun and Ikere Local Government Areas as part of his statewide engagement ahead of the poll.
The governor said the campaign activities conducted across the state since Monday had remained peaceful, adding that he was determined to sustain issue-based campaigns devoid of violence before, during and after the election.
Speaking at the rally in Ikere-Ekiti, Oyebanji urged APC members and supporters to remain calm and avoid any act capable of causing unrest, stressing that peaceful coexistence remained paramount.
“Our ambition and the ambition of every other person in Ekiti State do not worth the blood of any Ekiti man. By God’s grace, this election will hold peacefully and we shall all witness the prosperity that will follow,” he said.
Oyebanji commended the Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye, for her loyalty and contribution to the administration, describing her as a worthy ambassador of Ikere-Ekiti and a dependable partner in governance.
He said projects executed in Ikere and adjoining communities, including the Ikere-Igbara Odo Road, Ikere-Ilawe Road, Moshood Road and the Ikere-Akure Highway undertaken by the Federal Government, should encourage residents to support the APC and President Bola Tinubu.
The governor also urged party members to intensify mobilisation efforts and embark on aggressive membership drive to achieve the party’s target of securing 500,000 votes in the election.
At Emure and Ise-Ekiti, Oyebanji appealed to residents, irrespective of political affiliation, to support the APC, noting that the party remained committed to peace, development and improved welfare for the people.
He assured residents of Ise/Orun that work would soon commence on the Ise-Ijan Road and the proposed Olowe Museum project, while traditional rulers and party leaders at the rallies pledged support for his second term bid and commended his administration’s performance since assuming office in 2022.
