Ahead of the June 20 governorship election in Ekiti State, non-indigenous groups in the state have pledged to mobilise no fewer than 200,000 votes for the re-election of Governor Biodun Oyebanji.
The traditional leader of Idoma people in Ekiti State, Oyigocho Otache, Ad’Idoma Agabaidu 1, made the disclosure, on Tuesday, in Ado-Ekiti, during the interactive S’etigbo multicast, anchored by the Bureau of Community Communications.
He disclosed that 13 ethnic groups in the state are committed to grassroots mobilisation to secure the governor’s re-election, stressing that his inclusive governance has given them a sense of belonging in the state.
The traditional leader explained that they planned to engage all the non-indigenes across Ekiti communities towards effective and strategic mobilisation adding that they are non-partisan.
He equally commended the governor for prioritising their welfare through empowerments and appointments in his administration and lauded him for utilising the state’s resources for the overall growth and development of the state.
According to him, “He has harmonized us, made us to know each other and appointed us in his administration. Last year, he gave us JAMB forms free without paying for it and every year, he gives palliatives to our people.
“We are not working for the party but for him as a governor because he was has done great things needs to be appreciated. Every non-indigenous groups are uniting together to make sure the governor comes back for the second term because has made us to feel belonging. He doesn’t see us as strangers and when he has meetings with us, he sees as his people.
“In the next election, we are expecting nothing less than victory but the victory must be massive. What he has done is massive and he is not taking the highest allocation. There are states that are receiving thrice of what he is receiving.
“Our people that are working in the farm have free access and nobody discriminates us in Ekiti. He is a genuine and born-leader and that is why we want him to be there again.”
