Raheem Akingbolu captures Ekiti North Senatorial District’s recent stakeholders’ meeting of the All Progressive Congress, saying it was a boost to Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s second term bid.
Three months ago, when the people of Ekiti Central Senatorial District endorsed Governor Abiodun Oyebanji for another term as governor of Ekiti State, during a stakeholders’ meeting in Ado Ekiti, it was viewed from many quarters as a natural occurrence because the governor hails from the senatorial district. Two months before then, a similar meeting of APC stakeholders was held in Ikere Ekiti where leaders from the 64 wards in Ekiti South Senatorial district spoke with one voice and endorsed Oyebanji and his deputy, Princess Monisade Afuye, for a second term. Of course, it was also assumed that the decision was taken because the deputy governor was from Ikere, a prominent town in the South Senatorial District.
But political analysts who understand the trend of Ekiti politics were quick to conclude that ‘There’s more to the endorsement than meets the eye’. For instance, at a forum in Ado Ekiti a week after the event, a Political Science lecturer at Ekiti State University, Dr. Mike Omilusi had predicted that the endorsement that came with the meeting was a positive signal for Oyebanji as he warmed up for his second term in office.