You Can’t Be Governor Through Back Door– Oyebanji tells Oni

By Ayodele Oni

The banters and exchange of words continue just as the clock ticks to June 18, a day set aside for the Governorship election in Ekiti state.

Candidates,  especially those of the leading political parties, continue to strengthen their campaigns, while trading blames on opponents in case of any attack or negative incident.

The All Progressives Congress, (APC) governorship candidate in the election, Biodun Oyebanji, took turn to remind his opponent at the Social Democratic Party, (SDP) Segun Oni, that there is no back door to Oke Ayoba Government House, except through election.

He has, therefore, advised him to withdraw if he is not ready for a real contest come 18th June.

According to the APC flagbearer, Oni’s utterances and dispositions, portray him as if  he is expecting himself to be imposed on Ekiti, rather than a real contest going by phantom accusations he has allegedly been raising against the ruling party to gain relevance.

Oyebanji, spoke in Ado Ekiti, on Friday, while reacting to an allegation by the SDP that its deputy governorship candidate, Ladi Owolabi, was allegedly attacked by suspected APC thugs on Wednesday.

Oyebanji, who spoke through the Director of Media and Publicity of his campaign outfit, Taiwo Olatunbosun told the former governor that he will be day dreaming, if he thinks of becoming governor on the platter of gold or via undemocratic fashion.

The former SSG pointed out that the people of Ekiti will elect who governs them through a keen and democratic process and not by imposition, thuggery and raising of unfounded accusations for cheap political capital.

The APC candidate added that Oyebanji and members of his political campaign family are deeply obsessed with the ongoing electioneering campaigns and won’t descend to the level of promoting thuggery and unnecessary attacks.

“I want to say with all sincerity and open heart that the APC was not aware of any attack on the SDP deputy governorship candidate.

“And if truly it happened, I want to dissociate our members from it, because we are busy campaigning all over Ekiti.

“We are the ruling party and we have a lot of good projects we have done to campaign to Ekiti people, so we have no reason to attack anyone.

“With the ways they have been threatening the people and raising false allegations, I don’t think Segun Oni is prepared for a real contest.

“All he wants is getting the governorship through blackmail and on a platter of gold, which we believe is undemocratic. If he finds himself unprepared for the contest, he can withdraw honourably from the race.

“Oyebanji had unveiled his manifesto, which is his social contract with the Ekiti people and it covered human capital development, infrastructure, healthcare delivery, commercial agriculture, and good governance, among others.

“So, we are running a race that is well defined. Let other party candidates, including Oni learn from us, unveil their manifesto if they have any and let the people know what they have in stock for them, rather than stoking violence, attacks and unrest.”