By Ayodele Abere
A group known as Ekiti Youths on the Street in Ekiti State, has endorsed the State Governor, His Excellency, Mr. Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji for the second term in office.
The endorsement which was carried out at a programme organised by BAO Youth Ambassadors Across Ekiti State in Ado-Ekiti, the State capital on Sunday, had in attendance youths in the State gathered in their numbers.
In his address, the Coordinator of the group, Comrade Adenijo Olusola, popularly known as SOLAR, said the group is a combination of all interest groups in Ekiti with the common goal of working towards the actualisation to the second term ambition of Governor Oyebanji.
In his word, “in the past, the youths on the streets of Ekiti have either suffered selective recognition, outright abandonment or neglect, depending on who occupies the seat of government in the State.
“Fortunately for us all on the Street, God gave us BAO, a classical Governor with very great finesse and a touch of the street. He has demonstrated an act of OMOLUABI by ensuring a government of inclusiveness in Ekiti State.
“We are all products of the society. It is only appropriate for leaders to recognise this, extend hands of fellowship to us and make us also feel loved and cherished. It’s only by doing so that our positive influence can be felt across the State. BAO, being a home grown governor, took advantage of this and made us feel loved and cherished”. Said the Coordinator.
Speaking with newsmen, the Vice Chairman of the group, Comrade Folorunso Ajayi from Ijero Local Government of the State described the gathering as the gathering of major youths in the streets of Ekiti, who are also bonafide members of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Ajayi said they all brought themselves together across the local governments in the State including the LCDAs, to ensure that the incubent governor of the State, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji gets the second term ticket.
According to him, if you can look around the State, he is the first governor that has been able to carry everybody along in his governance, and majority of us here gathered today have benefited from his programmes in one way or the other including our families . That’s what brought about our agitation for his second term.
The Financial Secretary of the group, Comrade Ibukun Fagbohungbe, noted that every good turn deserves another. He said the governor has been so wonderful generally.
“That is why we all came out en mass today to declare our support for him for another four years. He deserves it because of his several unprecedented developmental projects across the State. Even though, we know he hasn’t completed his first term, but we are calling him back because of all we have seen”.
Also, Comrade Adedoyin Oguntoyinbo, a member from Iyin-Ekiti who described the excellent performance of the governor as second to none in the history of the State, which according to her necessitated the need to call for his second term, urged the APC Leaders in Ekiti to throw their weights behind the governor for his second term in office saying there is need for them all to rally him for second term noting that the four years of one term is not enough.
“He has been so good to everyone, both old and young in the State. He has been our brother and he understands what the grassroot means in Ekiti. BAO is a governor that doesn’t discriminate”. Oguntoyinbo affirmed.
Another member from Ikere-Ekiti, Comrade Babalola Taofeek Oyeleke, opined that BAO has done a lot of things, especially for the youths saying a lot of youths are involved in his administration and that they are all doing excellently well in their various capacities. “It will be a good thing for us if he could embark on the journey for the second term”. Said he.