All is now set for the All Progressives Congress (APC) flag off mega rally in Ekiti State ahead of the July 14 governorship election.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and the APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and other key party figures are expected at the rally scheduled for Oluyemi Kayode Stadium.
Members of the APC National Campaign Council headed by Kebbi State Governor Atiku Bagudu, National Working Committee, governors and ministers are also expected at the rally.
Osinbajo is expected to hand the party’s flag to the governorship candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi and his running mate, Chief Bisi Egbeyemi.
Fayemi took his campaign to communities in Ekiti West and Ijero Local Government Areas on Monday, urging the people to reject the continuity agenda of Governor Ayo Fayose, which he said was aimed at keeping them perpetually in poverty.
Communities visited include Aramoko, Erio, Ido-Ile, Okemesi, Ikoro, Ijero, Ijurin, Iloro, where more leaders and members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) defected to the APC.
The defectors promised to ensure victory for Fayemi in their various localities, saying they were rejecting the PDP in protest against Fayose’s alleged “deceit, wickedness, lies and greed”.
In Aramoko, a stronghold of the PDP where the visits kicked off, no fewer than 30 of its top leaders led hundreds of supporters to defect to the APC, while in Ido-Ile, residents said they would vote for Fayemi for the water project, roads, schools rehabilitation and social security for the elderly people he provided in his first term.
He listed his achievements in agriculture, schools and hospital rehabilitation, social security, appointments, education, roads and electricity, among others, in Aramoko to the thunderous applause of supporters.
Fayemi regretted that nothing had been added to what he did in the town, except for Fayose to introduce payment of tax by school pupils, while workers are unpaid for between six and 10 months.
He urged the people to dismiss Fayose’s lies on debts, saying though he borrowed N25b to implement projects that are verifiable, including completing projects started by Segun Oni’s administration.
The APC candidate revealed that he paid back N14.5b of the loan before leaving office, while Fayose had so far borrowed N56b but did nothing with it, except a bridge built at over-bloated cost.
Fayemi said the road he awarded but abandoned by Fayose would be completed, including new projects that the community might request for in his budget.
He urged the people to reject continuity of sufferings, unpaid salaries and lies that Fayose wanted to sustain by working to install Prof Eleka as his successor.
In Erio, the hometown of Fayose’s wife, residents regretted that though Fayose is their son-in-law, they had not seen any development assistance from neither Fayose nor his wife in the last three years.
The community presented a copy of the Holy Bible to Fayemi, declaring that the APC candidate represented a soldier of Christ who will always win his battles. They said victory is sure for Fayemi on July 14.
Fayemi expressed shock that the road he initiated leading to Erio worship centre was abandoned by Fayose. He promised to complete the project and implement other ones they choose in his pre-budget meetings with the people.
He also promised to continue his pro-people schemes, including social security, free education and helping students to pay for public examinations and scholarships.
The rally at Okemesi was dramatic, as residents in the town openly rained abuses on one of her sons in Fayose’s administration who early in the morning allegedly led thugs in knife battle to create sense of insecurity to disrupt APC rally.
The Owa Ooye of Okemesi, Oba Gbadebo Adedeji, in his palace praised Fayemi for appointing indigenes, including Adewale Fapohunda, into his government, while Kayode Fasakin was a member of the House of Assembly. The monarch said they were the best to represent the town in government.
He said the town had the best of times while Fayemi was governor, even as he praised Fayemi for constructing the abandoned road to the town’s hospital. The monarch assured Fayemi of total support of the community.
At Ikoro, country home of the third runner-up in APC primary, Kayode Ojo, the former aspirant, who described Egbeyemi as his father’s friend, urged the people to vote for Fayemi, reminding the people that Fayemi’s years as governor was an evergreen experience in the development process of the town.
Another party chief from the town, Dr. Femi Thomas, regretted Fayose’s neglect of the town despite support for him in 2014.
He described Fayemi as a man of honour who can be trusted with his words while another former aspirant, Dr Bayo Orire, spoke in the same vein, urging residents to vote for Fayemi.