• Target 90% of Ekiti votes
Gbenga Sodeinde in Ado Ekiti
In an unusual show of cross-party cooperation, Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the June 20, 2026 election, Dr. Wole Oluyede, have joined forces to mobilise support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
The alliance, which brought together the APC-led state government and a prominent PDP figure, was being positioned as a significant boost to Tinubu’s bid for a second term, with its organisers setting an ambitious target of delivering 90 per cent of the votes cast in Ekiti State.
The partnership came to the fore yesterday at a mobilisation rally organised by the Oluyede Progressives Alliance for Renewed Hope Agenda, a political group convened by Oluyede to galvanise grassroots support for President Tinubu across the 16 local government areas of Ekiti State.
Addressing supporters at the event, Oluyede pledged to lead an aggressive door-to-door campaign to ensure an overwhelming victory for the President in the next presidential election.
The former PDP governorship candidate said members of the alliance had resolved to work across communities and wards to mobilise voters, expressing confidence that the president would secure at least 90 per cent of the votes in Ekiti.
“I want to thank the PDP for agreeing with me that we are going to support the president. My duty is to ensure that we support him in all the local governments.
“We are going to win this election with 90 per cent. We are going to work hard to make sure that we deliver 90 per cent for him.
“These people are already committed. They are going to go door to door in all the 16 local governments to canvass for the President and, on election day, they will stand by him,” he said.
Oluyede appealed to President Tinubu to continue to give priority attention to Ekiti State, saying the support of the people deserved to be matched with sustained federal interventions and development projects.
Governor Oyebanji described Oluyede’s decision to mobilise support for the President as a demonstration of political maturity, patriotism and commitment to the collective interest of Ekiti people.
The governor said the development underscored the fact that political differences should not stand in the way of pursuing the progress and development of the state.
“I am grateful for your generosity of spirit. I am grateful for your love for Ekiti. I am grateful for your commitment to peace and I am grateful because I know your capacity.
“We had an election in Ekiti State and there was no violence. Nobody was killed. I give God all the glory,” Oyebanji said.
The governor noted that the alliance reflected the ideals of the founding fathers of Ekiti State, who envisioned a state where unity would transcend political, religious and ethnic affiliations.
He stressed that Tinubu’s re-election was critical to the continued development of Ekiti, citing ongoing federal support and projects being executed in the state.
“There has never been a President, living or dead, that has been so good to the people of Ekiti State than this.
“You voted for me and he is supporting me. He also said that you should vote for him and that he will ensure that Ekiti develops,” the governor said.