The governor urged party stakeholders to strengthen their engagement with voters across the state, particularly those yet to decide which candidate to support, saying sustained grassroots mobilisation would be crucial to achieving the target.
Oyebanji made the call on Thursday at the Ekiti Parapo Pavilion in Ado-Ekiti during the inauguration of the state chapter of the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement and the presentation of 25 campaign vehicles to facilitate its mobilisation activities.
The movement, convened by Chief Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, is campaigning for Tinubu’s re-election through direct engagement with residents in communities across the country.
Commending the convener and members of the organisation for their commitment to the President’s re-election bid, Oyebanji assured them that their investment in Ekiti would be matched with sustained efforts by the state APC to mobilise voters.
He called on party members to close ranks and extend their campaign activities to every community, noting that electoral success would depend significantly on their ability to connect directly with voters.
The governor also expressed concern over voter apathy, particularly among eligible voters who possessed Permanent Voter Cards but failed to participate in previous elections.
He urged party members to identify such individuals, engage them at the grassroots and encourage them to exercise their franchise during the forthcoming poll.
Oyebanji further called on APC stakeholders to reciprocate what he described as the support and fairness Ekiti State had received from the Tinubu administration by mobilising votes for the President.
According to him, the Federal Government’s assistance had contributed to the development efforts of his administration, while continued collaboration between both levels of government remained important to the implementation of ongoing projects and programmes.
Recalling the APC’s performance in the last governorship election, the governor urged party members to sustain their political activities and replicate their support for the state government at the presidential level.
He said Ekiti should target at least 80 per cent support for Tinubu in January 2027, describing the figure as a challenge to party leaders and members.
Oyebanji said, ‘This is a big challenge to us in Ekiti State. If someone from the Niger Delta can put up this structure, and as of today, they have visited 19 states and are still going to visit other states before the end of the campaign, then I challenge all of us here to support the President with our votes in January.
‘I have always said that in our 30 years as a state, there has been no President who has been as fair and supportive to Ekiti as President Tinubu.
‘We are extremely grateful, and we assure you that your investment in Ekiti State will not be in vain. I assure you that Ekiti will perform well and record an outstanding result in January.’
Earlier, the convener of the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement, Chief Government Ekpemupolo, said the donation of the 25 vehicles was aimed at expanding the organisation’s grassroots mobilisation network and taking its campaign message to more communities in Ekiti and other parts of the country.
Represented by the movement’s Grand Patron, High Chief Kestin Pondi, Ekpemupolo appealed to Nigerians to support Tinubu’s bid for a second term, arguing that the administration needed more time to consolidate its economic reforms.
He maintained that the reforms had strengthened the financial capacity of state governments to meet their obligations, including the payment of salaries and pensions, as well as the execution of infrastructure and other development projects.
Citing ongoing projects in Ekiti as an example, the convener attributed the state’s development activities to the resources available to state governments following the economic policies introduced by the Tinubu administration.
He added that governors in the 19 states visited by the movement had similarly highlighted the impact of the reforms on their ability to meet financial obligations and implement development programmes.
Ekpemupolo argued that major economic reforms required sufficient time to deliver their intended benefits, urging Nigerians to support continuity in order to consolidate the policies.
He also challenged political aspirants seeking elective offices to explain how their proposed programmes would improve the living conditions of Nigerians compared with the policies currently being implemented by the Federal Government.
The convener urged APC leaders at the national, state and local government levels to work together and ensure the effective deployment of the donated vehicles for the movement’s mobilisation activities.
Those present at the event included the Deputy Governor, Monisade Afuye; Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Adeoye Aribasoye; members of the state legislature; APC State Chairman, Sola Eleshin; and party leaders and stakeholders from the state’s 16 local government areas.
