Shekinat Abubakar
A ranking member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Bamisile, has dismissed the insinuation that the Governor of Ekiti State, Biodun Oyebanji, was allegedly planning to dump the All Progressives Congress and defect to the African Democratic Congress coalition party.
Bamisile, who is representing Ekiti South Federal Constituency II, said the trajectory of the governor’s political participations since the advent of democracy in 1999, denoted that he has not defected to any other party, but had been steadfast with the progressive.
There was a swelling rumour on social media platforms at the weekend suggesting that the governor and some All Progressives Congress’ bigwigs, were planning to defect to ADC, which Oyebanji had stoutly debunked.
Defending the governor further, Bamisile, in a statement by his Media Office in Abuja, on Tuesday, averred that the proponents of such inflammatory rumour were agents of destabilization, who needed to be cautioned.
The former speaker urged the APC National leaders to discountenance such rumour, describing Oyebanji as a man of integrity and strong political ideology, deeply rooted in progressive thinking and association.
He appealed to Ekiti people, especially members of the APC to continue to support the governor and work assiduously for the realization of his second term in 2026.
Bamisile said the torrents of endorsements by political class, civil servants, students, traders, driver unions, artisans and many others, amplified how acceptable the governor is among the masses, describing his reelection as a done deal in spite of these understand shenanigans.
“This was one rumour taken too far by agents of destabilization and retrogression. How can a governor who never had any record of defection since 1999, would now abandon his stable and well built home for another party? In search of what?”, Bamisile asked.He added further:
“Governor Oyebanji has proven to be a man of the people in actions and deeds. He has all that are required to win the hearts of Ekiti populace .
“He is a performing Governor. He has delivered in all spheres of the economy in alignment with his promised six-point agenda. That is why the name BAO has become a household name that has resonated with all the strata of Ekiti. It has become a brand that can win election anytime.
“I want to assure our party leaders that such a puerile and spurious rumour could only exist in the minds of political adversaries.
“I want our people to also know that this is election year, there is no rumour the people won’t peddle to undo someone they know is superior to them politically. But I appeal that Ekiti shouldn’t be turned into a rumour mill just because of election.
“We are one, and we will continue to maintain that homogeneity, which Governor Oyebanji has been promoting with his smooth and seamless relationships with people across party lines”, Bamisile said.
