National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, has boasted that the election was already won by the ruling party and lost by the opposition parties.

He made the declaration on Wednesday while inaugurating the National Campaign Council for the Ekiti Governorship Election.

The APC Chairman premised his confidence on the array of serving governors and National Assembly members who are members of his party.

He also noted that funding would not be a challenge, considering the number of top politicians selected into sub-committees created and inaugurated to drive the campaign to ensure a fresh term of four years for the incumbent Ekiti state governor, Biodun Oyebanji.

Professor Yilwatda also said the achievements of Governor Oyebanji would earn him the votes of the Ekiti electorate.

He said: “I am lucky I was in Ekiti, so it is not just to visit but also to inspect what the Governor is doing. And I can testify, I was an eyewitness that the Government is doing very, very, very well.

“Your Excellency, you have done very well in terms of infrastructure. You have built roads; you are providing social protection for your people; you are providing scholarships; you are providing health support systems for your people. You are connecting roads; you are connecting hearts across the state.

“We celebrate you and we thank God for giving you to the people of Ekiti and to our party as well. And today, we present you to the people of Ekiti for the second time. As a party, we are not ashamed.

“We are proud that we have you. We are happy. You are one of the best candidates for this election.

“People have no option in this election. You seem to be the only candidate for this election. I can say it informally, congratulations in advance.”

“No political party can match this array of people. We have governors from all sections of the country. The Senate President from the South-South.

“Next is from the North-Central. The Governor of Kwara State.

“By this side, the Governor from the North-West. From this side, the Governor from the North-East. And the Imo state Governor and Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, from the South-East.

“The entire country is seated here. I challenge any other candidate to present even one governor behind him while campaigning.

Present one National Assembly member and we will provide more than ten times the number. We have the numbers.

“We have the strength. We are prepared. These are real soldiers.

“That is why we are proud that this campaign council we have here, they will mobilize funding for us. Funding will not be a problem. The people sitting in front here can raise any money we need for the election.”

“We are building an inclusive campaign council. The women are here. The young people are here.”

Kaduna State Governor and Chairman of the National Campaign Council for Ekiti State, Senator Uba Sani told the gathering that his Committee has since hit the ground running by connecting with the grassroots before its formal inauguration.

He said: “I am pleased to announce that we have established effective campaign structures across all 16 local government areas and 177 wards in Ekiti State. This grassroots engagement is foundational to our strategy, ensuring that every citizen is reached, heard, and mobilized for this crucial election.

“Our campaign will not merely be a series of rallies; it will be a movement that resonates with the aspirations of the people. The path ahead is made lighter by the progressive reforms of His Excellency, Mr President Bola Ahmed. “His visionary leadership is not just rebuilding Nigeria brick by brick; it is empowering our sub-national entities, including Ekiti State, to flourish.

“This election will serve as a reminder of these profound reforms, a testament to the positive changes taking root across our nation. Governor Oyebanji’s anticipated landslide victory is further bolstered by the unique and unprecedented support he enjoys from all living former governors of Ekiti State.”

In his remarks, Governor Oyebanji expressed confidence that he would earn a fresh mandate on June 20, as he submitted thay he has redeemed the promises he made to the Ekiti electorate while seeking their votes in 2022.

He said:” For the past 3 years, we have ensured that the social contract we signed with Ekiti people have been fully implemented and we know that they will reward us.

“June 20 is going to be a celebration of performance and reward a President that has done wonderfully well for us. In Ekiti state, there is nothing to fear.”

He also thanked the Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele for his support since the commencement of campaigns across the local government in the state. (Nigerian Tribune)

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