By Samuel Sunday
Ahead of the second-term inauguration of Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, the Wife of the Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Olayemi Oyebanji, has celebrated about 500 elderly citizens drawn from the 16 Local Government Areas of the state, reaffirming the administration’s commitment to their welfare.
Dr. Oyebanji, who hosted the senior citizens at her office in Ado-Ekiti on Monday, described the engagement as part of activities lined up to mark the Governor’s swearing-in ceremony scheduled for Friday, October 16, 2026.
She said the programme was designed to appreciate the contributions of the elderly to the development of Ekiti State and to ensure their inclusion in the inauguration celebration, particularly those who might be unable to attend the main ceremony.
“This gathering is an opportunity to appreciate you for your support for this administration and to make you feel valued. We do not take your contributions for granted. The food packages we are presenting today are tokens of our appreciation, please accept them with love and gratitude,” Dr. Oyebanji said.
The Governor’s wife assured the beneficiaries that the Oyebanji administration would sustain and improve on its welfare programmes for senior citizens in its second term, while soliciting their continued prayers for the success of the administration.
Speaking with journalists shortly after the event, Dr. Oyebanji explained that the engagement with the elderly followed similar programmes organised for youths and women as part of the pre-inauguration activities.
“After engaging youths and women, we felt it was important to also honour our elderly. They have laboured for Ekiti and deserve equal recognition. We are confident that the second term will bring more blessings and improved welfare for all residents,” she said.
She commended the state government for addressing pensioners’ concerns, noting that many elderly citizens had expressed satisfaction with the payment of pension arrears and the regular payment of monthly pensions.
She also urged the gathering to sustain their support for the administration and to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in forthcoming elections.
In her remarks, the Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye, commended Governor Oyebanji and his wife for their consistent support for the elderly, describing their commitment as worthy of emulation.
Chief Afuye praised the peaceful atmosphere that characterised the Governor’s re-election and urged the senior citizens to continue to support the APC-led administrations at both state and federal levels.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Peju Babafemi, said the gathering was organised to honour elderly citizens for their invaluable contributions to the growth of the state, while former Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs Ronke Ogunsanya, said the initiative underscored the administration’s genuine concern for the welfare of senior citizens.
In his goodwill message, an APC elder, Pa Gabriel Oni, expressed satisfaction with the administration’s developmental strides and the attention accorded to senior citizens.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Ekiti Council of Elders, Pa Mogaji, who spoke on behalf of the association’s President, congratulated Governor Oyebanji on his re-election and thanked him and his wife for their continued support for the elderly.
The event, which was attended by pensioners, members of the Ekiti Council of Elders, government officials and representatives of the elderly from the 16 local government areas, ended with the distribution of food packages to all beneficiaries.
