Mr Abiodun Oyebanji, an All Progressives Congress (APC) aspirant for the June 18, 2022 Ekiti governorship poll, has pledged to consolidate on the achievements of Gov. Kayode Fayemi, if elected into office.
Oyebanji, said this on Wednesday in Abuja while speaking with newsmen at the APC National Secretariat shortly after purchasing the Expression of Interest and Nomination forms for the election.
The aspirant who described himself as a product of grace, said he had put in 11 years of excellent service to the state, working in different capacities at the executive level.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the aspirant was the Chief of Staff to Fayemi, before he left to join the race for the governorship seat.
Speaking on his plans for the state, Oyebanji said he plans to unveiled a five pillar agenda and a State Development Master Plan to fastrack the development of the state.
“Whatever we are going to do must find a space within these two documents, and also in Ekiti State, we have a tradition of consulting with the people to ask for their needs.
“So our approach to governance is going to be the bottom up approach that governor Fayemi started, we will consult with the people.
“We will ask for their needs and their preferences which must find a space within the state development documents and policy that is being developed,’’ he said.
On the type of primary he would prefer to be adopted by the party to pick its candidates for electives offices, Oyebanji said the party`s leadership should have the final say.
“We are members of the party; we will follow whatever the party chooses, ‘’ he said.
He said he would leverage on his experience as someone who had been in government for 11 years to change the state’s fortune for good.
“If I had the opportunity to have served at the executive level for 11 years under great men, I think I have the requisite experience, exposure, capacity and character to lead Ekiti State.
“The most pressing issue everywhere in the country today is poverty and insecurity, once poverty and insecurity is solved, every other things will fall in place,’’ he said.
He said because he understood the people of the state and their challenges, he would be able to proffer solutions to their problems.
“I am local, I live with my people, I know their problems, and I know their wishes and aspirations. I have lived with them all my life.
“One unique selling point about my candidature is that I will be the first local that will aspire to the governorship position of the state; I grew up from a very poor family.
“My parents were teachers, so I have a perfect understanding of the aspirations and sentiment of the people and I have been blessed to have worked with those that fought for the creation of Ekiti State.
“I know their vision for the state, we crafted the blueprint together.
“The most critical thing about governance is for you connect with the people and ask them their needs. So we are going to do governance with them not for them,’’ Oyebanji said.
He debunked media reports that the state APC chapter has been factionalised.
“I am not aware of any faction, politics is a game of ideas and numbers and there are million views on how things should go.
“Even if there is disagreements within the party`s fold in the state, it is not a big deal, the APC remain one big family. I am not aware of any division in Ekiti APC.
“We had our congresses, it went well and everyone participated. The party also has put in place a level playing field for everyone who might be interested in contesting elections to come and pick forms.
“So there is no faction in state APC, we are one,’’ Oyebanji.
He also debunked insinuations that he was the anointed candidate of Fayemi, adding that as the leader of the party in the state, the governor had no preferred candidate.
He said the partys candidate would emerge at the primaries at the appropriate time, stressing that he was not Fayemis anointed one.
He added that all aspirants in the governorship race belonged to APC.
“Fayemi is our leader and I am sure that everyone enjoys his support,” he said. (NAN)
