2027: Oyebanji unveils APC presidential campaign council

File photo: Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji.

Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, on Friday inaugurated the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council in the state with a charge to members to embark on aggressive grassroots mobilisation and voter tracking to garner votes for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general election.

Membership of the council comprised political leaders, federal appointees, members of the National Assembly, the state legislature and other stakeholders reflective of the APC’s determination to deliver a decisive victory for Tinubu.

Speaking at the inauguration, Oyebanji said the major task before the 157-member council in the state was, in addition to organising rallies and political campaigns, to identify eligible voters who did not participate in previous elections and persuade them to come out and vote for the President.

The governor, who is the state coordinator and chairman of the council, said the calibre of political leaders and stakeholders assembled in the state for the assignment would guarantee overwhelming votes for the President in the election.

Oyebanji, who expressed concern that only about 400,000 people out of the over one million registered voters in the state participated in the June 20 governorship election, charged the council to “concentrate on identifying registered voters who did not participate in the governorship election, understand the reasons for their absence and ensure that they are mobilised to exercise their franchise in 2027”.

The governor said that the council would adopt a systematic approach involving tracking of eligible voters across polling units, wards and local government areas.

Oyebanji urged party members to set aside political differences and work with all willing supporters, irrespective of their party affiliations, stressing that the task of mobilising voters should not be restricted to APC members alone.

The governor said that the council would develop a comprehensive voter-tracking structure covering all the 16 local government areas and polling units in the state within the next two weeks, with members expected to identify and mobilise eligible voters ahead of the election.

The Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, who spoke on behalf of members of the campaign council, pledged their commitment to the assignment, describing the task as achievable, given the experience and political structure available to the party in the state.

Bamidele, who praised Oyebanji for ensuring inclusive composition of the council, said the recent governorship election, which secured the governor’s re-election, had provided the APC with valuable experience and momentum ahead of the presidential poll.

He assured the governor that members would take the assignment seriously and work collectively to achieve a higher electoral performance for Tinubu in 2027.

The Senate Leader also welcomed candidates of other political parties, including Dr Wole Oluyede of the People’s Democratic Party, who attended the inauguration, describing their presence as a demonstration of political goodwill and an indication that the campaign council was open to broader collaboration.

In his remark, the APC State Chairman, Sola Elesin, said the council was constituted to mobilise support and votes for Tinubu’s re-election, with the objective of surpassing the electoral performance recorded by the President in the state in previous elections.

Elesin urged members of the council to demonstrate commitment, dedication and a strong sense of responsibility, saying Ekiti should emerge among the leading states in terms of votes delivered for the President in 2027.