• Get assurances, royal blessings of Olosi, Alofa, others
Kwara State candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led by the gubernatorial candidate and Speaker, Kwara State House of Assembly, Hon. Yakubu Danladi Salihu, on Saturday commenced their statewide ‘thank-you’ visit to the southern part of the state.
Accompanied by the state Chairman of APC, Prince Sunday Fagbemi, chieftains and different support groups, the APC train kicked off in Ekiti Local Government and later headed to Oke-Ero Local Government Area.
They were received at the palaces of Olosi of Osi and Chairman, Ekiti Council of Chiefs, Oba Saliu Abdulkareem Adasofegbe, and Alofa of Ilofa and Chairman, Oke-Ero Council of Chiefs, Oba Samuel Niyi Dada, being their first ports of call.
Other traditional rulers in both Ekiti and Oke-Ero were also in attendance.
Speaking during the tours, the team lead, Hon. Danladi, thanked the people of both local governments for demonstrating their genuine love and support, especially during the party primaries, and charged them to remain steadfast for the task ahead.
“We are starting this tour in Ekiti as a mark of honour for our party chairman. We are here to thank you for what you did during the party primaries and seek your continued support for our candidacies from our presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, down to the state House Assembly,” Danladi told APC supporters at the big town hall in Ekiti.
“We appreciate you for coming out en masse to receive us. This visit is just by a short notice and the hall is filled to its capacity. We will not take your support for granted. We will consolidate your gains from the administration of Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.”
Danladi promised to sustain the good legacies of Governor AbdulRazaq particularly in critical infrastructure, inclusive growth, human capital development, and respect for the traditional institutions.
“Please, let’s talk to our neighbours, particularly those who have missed roads to come back to the winning team. The train has not started yet. There is still space in the train so that they can be carried along. May God Almighty continue to guide us,” he added.
Prince Fagbemi said the people of Ekiti, like other parts of the state, have benefited a lot under the present administration, citing the completion and take-off of KWASU Campus in Osi and the construction of Obbo-Aiyegunle road project, among other achievements in the region.
He said it will be an act of gratitude for the people of the communities to reward such gesture with an overwhelming vote.
“The only thing I want to tell our traditional rulers is that, you will agree with me that Ekiti Local Government has witnessed unprecedented growth and development since the creation of Kwara State. We now have a functioning (KWASU Campus) university,” he said.
“This government has constructed the bad Osi-Obbo-Aiyegunle road that used to take us more than two-hour. It takes us just a 10-minute drive now from Osi. Ekiti bloc is also considered for the House of Representatives slot. This used to be our lost glory in Ekiti. We have to thank Governor AbdulRazaq and reciprocate by voting for the APC.
“By the authorities of our traditional rulers, every blessing they bestow on you today shall be permanent so that you will succeed,” Fagbemi told the candidates at the palace of Olosi.
Hon. Abolarin Ganiyu Gabriel, a member representing Ekiti Constituency at the Kwara House of Assembly and House of Representatives aspirant, thanked his constituents for their regular support for APC, urging them to maintain the status quo in the 2027 elections.
Olosi and Alofa, for their parts, said Governor AbdulRazaq has transformed the state in the last seven years, and prayed God to grant him successful tenure.
Both the first-class monarchs and other royal fathers in Ekiti and Oke-Ero charged the candidates to strive to do good when given the mandate, and prayed for their victory at the polls.
Kwara South Senatorial candidate, Prince Lekan Adewoye, praised the people of Ekiti and Oke-Ero for their consistent support for the APC government and for their decisive steps at the party primaries, promising to prioritize their needs when elected.
Elder Dele Aina and Mr Ogunmola, in their separate remarks, said Ekiti Local Government is synonymous with the APC and pledged their unalloyed support for all candidates of the party in the next electoral events.
Aina noted that the people of Ekiti are cohesive, consistent and ready to vote massively for the ruling party, hoping that the community will be much better for it.