An outspoken member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Bamisile, has predicted that the 2026 reelection bid of Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, is already secured and guaranteed, assuring that all stakeholders will work assiduously to retain the governor on his plum sea.
The Chairman House Committee on Delegated Legislation, saluted Oyebanji for truly promoting homogeneity among Ekiti citizens, saying this reflected in his frictionless fraternities with opposition leaders; like former Governors Segun Oni and Ayodele Fayose, in contrast to the past trends of politics of hatred and venom.
At the federal pedestal, the All Progressives Congress chieftain, described the one year of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as though challenging, but rewarding, disagreeing with those having the widespread impression that the current APC-led federal government was a failure.
Bamisile, who is representing Ekiti South Federal Constituency II, spoke on Saturday, while appearing on a programme on a radio programme in Ikere Ekiti, Ekiti State.
Justifying his prediction that Governor Oyebanji’s reelection is having a good prognosis, the former Chairman House Committee on FERMA stated that all the current APC elected and appointed officials won’t challenge the governor’s reelection on the strength of his superlative performance.
Debunking the claim that the proponents of Ekiti South Agenda, which represents a vociferous platform for the agitation for the governorship slot, had abandoned the advocacy, Bamisile described such thought as misdirected, saying allowing Oyebanji to spend eight years will stabilise the politics and bring democracy dividends to Ekiti .
“Let me appeal to our angry youths, who constitute about 70% of our electorate and APC members to be wary of their actions. Governor Biodun Oyebanji is the first Governor to truly promote the homogeneity and unity among Ekiti. He has been able to show that we are all one and that is the kind of leader we want.
“I am not saying that he is a saint, but he has done creditably well. He has shown that he is looking for the good of Ekiti. Those in the opposition should forget about 2026, it is already a done deal for him. Mark me, none of us elected and appointed officials in APC will contest against him in the primary, except strangers who wants to merely test the waters.
“This is the first time Ekiti will have stability in government with Governor Oyebanji taking the baton of leadership from Dr Kayode Fayemi. It was stability in Lagos that made Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu President of our dear nation.
“Lagos state from Governors Babatunde Fashola, Akunwumi Ambode and the incumbent Babajide Sanwoolu has enjoyed good governance. That singular thing made him President. Left to former President Muhammadu Buhari, he won’t have got it . They wanted former Senate President, Senator Ahmad Lawan.
“So, our people in Ekiti must see the good in continuity. Peace and unity are sinequanon to development and Governor Oyebanji has been promoting that. Let us all support him. He can’t do everything, but to the best of My knowledge, he has done well and deserves our support”.
On the deafening demands for governorship by the people of his senatorial district in Ekiti South, Bamisile stated that such advocacy won’t be realised by coercion or subversion of a good system that Governor Oyebanji represents, exuding confidence that the zone will get it at God’s appointed time.
Bamisile assured the state workers and pensioners that Oyebanji won’t dash their hopes on the implementation of the proposed minimum wage, assuring that “the governor has shown readiness to give living wage to all Ekiti workers”.
Interestingly, the popular politician revealed that Governor Oyebanji in partnership with stakeholders like Chief Afe Babalola (SAN) are putting plans on a full throttle to ensure that the Ekiti State International Cargo Airport begins full-fledged operations by August 2024.
Harping on the fact that President Tinubu has been listening to Nigerians, Bamisile stated that the fact that the number one citizen reversed the implementation of the new electricity tariff and cybersecurity security tax portrayed him as a sensitive leader.
He dropped a hint that the President being well disposed to good performance may hammer some of the Ministers on or before May 29 based on Performance Oath they signed while assuming their respective offices
“The president was of the firm belief that increment in electricity tariff and the one that affected the cybersecurity should be paid by the rich and companies, but not the poor. That was why he reversed them. He has a way of connecting to the people. As I speak with you, all the Ministers are being rated, but I won’t want to predict Mr President before May 29. Let us await his action”, he stated.
While backing the removal of the fuel subsidy by President Tinubu, Bamisile vehemently opposed the dismantling of the modular refineries by the joint task force operating in the Niger Delta Region, saying the FG ought to have found a way to invest in them to increase local production of fuel to check the ballooning fuel price increase.
Bamisile appealed to the federal government to hearken to the voices of the people on systematic border reopening to force down the spiraling increase in the prices of food commodities and solve herders-farmers clashes to boost local production of food.
As a way of setting Nigeria on a faster pace of socioeconomic and political renaissance that can engender peace, unity and development, Bamisile suggested the convocation of “Truth and Reconciliation Committee”, to trash some salient past issues that were widening the gulf of inter ethnic acrimony and fault lines in the country’s political system.
“We shouldn’t be scratching some of our problems on the surface, the killings during the 1966 coup didn’t make the North to trust the Southeast till today. What you heard of is the Northwest and Southwest alignment. It is not supposed to be so. This Committee will help in trashing this mutual suspicion, so that we can be truly one. Unity is very essential for the survival of our nation”, he said.