By Ayodele Abere.
Ekiti State Coordinator, Tinubu/Shettima Grassroots Independent Campaign Council, Prince Akintade Olayisade, has called on the people of Ekiti State and Nigerians at large to comport themselves before, during and after this Saturday Presidential election.
The APC stalwart made this appeal while speaking on a radio programme in Ado-Ekiti, the State capital, saying the election is no more do or die affair as the whole votes will be transferred electronically with the use of BIVAS.
“Cast your vote peacefully, stay there to make sure that nothing happens to your votes. Even if you go home, nothing will happen to your votes”. Olayisade advised the electorate.
According to the former SUBEB Chairman in Ekiti State, “we have a task ahead of us and that task is to vote enmass for our candidate, the candidate of Ekiti State, the candidate of Yoruba land and the candidate of Nigerians, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima. That’s the ultimate goal for us now”. The Prince explained.
Regarding the preparedness of APC for the election, the GICC Coordinator said the candidate, Asiwaju Tinubu, has traversed the whole nation and that he has been up and doing with his running mate, Senator Shettima, maintaining that the two have shown themselves to the entire populace of Nigeria.
“Now people can make a choice and the choice is between light and darkness. I pray that Nigerians will choose light over darkness. I implore the whole of Ekiti State not only to vote for Asiwaju to win the election but to vote massively by giving him up to 90 per cent of the total votes in Ekiti because he has been a beacon of light and hope.
“This cannot be reasonably controverted by anyone. Even though, the oppositions know it and they cannot controvert it. We should all realize that a vote for Tinubu, is a vote for development, prosperity and it’s a vote for ourselves”. Olayisade said.
In the area of grassroots mobilisation, Prince Akintade Olayisade said, Asiwaju was well received in every where they went because they know his worth. He said the issue on ground now is no more about party but a matter that has to do with entire Yoruba race.
“Obafemi Awolowo tried it in 1963, but he couldn’t get there. Also, MKO Abiola tried in 1993, he wasn’t given the chance”. He urged all Yoruba people to join hands together this time around to ensure that Asiwaju gets there.
Stressing that Asiwaju’s track records are speaking volumes already and that the people should try to vote for him overwhelmingly just because of numerous benefits that his victory would bring to Ekiti as a State.
According to Olayisade, “Asiwaju loves Ekiti so well, part of which he easily released her first daughter, Chief Iyabo Tinubu-Ojo, to an Ekiti son, our own brother, Oyetunde Ojo.
“Also, our own distinguished Senator in Ekiti Central Senatorial District, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, who Asiwaju specifically requested from Ewi of Ado-Ekiti when he came for rally in the State, to release him for him by voting him for senate the second time, for him to be able to work with him in Abuja for a better Nigeria, described the Senator as a very good son of the soil saying give him any assignment and consider it done.”
The GICC State Coordinator explained that Asiwaju has done much at sustaining democracy in Nigeria. Noting that when the Federal Government refused to release the allocation of Lagos State then during the regime of the former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, that Tinubu kept the state running and survived.
He said Asiwaju transformed Lagos to what it is today and that there’s no doubt that he would build a new Nigeria if elected as President.
In his own reaction, the Director of Contacts and Mobilisation for the Council in Ekiti, Prince Samuel Omowunmi, congratulated the entire people of Ekiti State, as he said Asiwaju is surrounded by some brilliant and talented sons of Ekiti as explained by Prince Olayisade, among whom are Mr. Dele Alake, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele including the Governor of Ekiti State, His Excellency, Mr. Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, whom he said could call and discuss anything with him at anytime.
Prince Omowunmi described Michael Opeyemi Bamidele as a lover of Ekiti, considering all he has been doing and that he would bring a lot of good things to Ekiti If Asiwaju emerges Nigerian President, noting that there are mineral resources in the State that can be tapped into by the Federal Government.
Extolling the virtues of Asiwaju, Omowunmi said he is a progressive-minded person, a man of progress with esteemed pedigree, citing him as the only candidate vying for presidency that has openly spoken against the federal government policy on naira swapping and cash crunch, saying it’s not favourable for the masses.
He was of the opinion that if both Asiwaju and Senator Opeyemi Bamidele emerge winners in both the Presidential and National Assembly elections this Saturday, that Ekiti will surely hold post that nobody from the State has ever held in the Senate