Mark Aba, Abuja
The Vice President Kashim Shettima has stated that the people of Ekiti State will provide President Bola Ahmed Tinubu with 95 per cent of votes cast in the State in the January 16, 2027 presidential election.
Shettima made the projection on Thursday during the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign rally in Ekiti State, attributing his optimism to what he described as growing support for Tinubu and the ruling party.
He commended the people for their continued support for the Tinubu administration and Governor Biodun Oyebanji, recalling the state’s performance in the 2023 presidential election.
According to him, “Ekiti delivered 201,495 votes for Tinubu in 2023, while the APC recorded victories in all 16 local government areas, three senatorial districts and six federal constituencies.”
The Vice President also appreciated the electorate for re-electing Oyebanji on the APC platform, noting that the governor secured 85.7 per cent of the total votes cast in the governorship election.
Shettima further highlighted decision of three former governorship candidates, who contested against Oyebanji under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Allied Peoples Movement (APM), to join the APC campaign and support Tinubu’s re-election bid.
He said their decision reflected growing political support for the APC in the state as the party intensifies mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general election.
In his remarks, former Governor of Zamfara State and Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, challenged Ekiti voters to deliver at least 800,000 votes for Tinubu in the January 2027 presidential election.
Yari expressed confidence that the APC could secure about 90 per cent of the votes in the state, recalling the support Ekiti voters gave Tinubu in 2023 and their subsequent backing of Oyebanji, who won the governorship election.
He urged the electorate to surpass their previous performance, pointing out that of approximately 1.08 million registered voters in the state, more than 900,000 had collected their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).
“Our request, and by extension that of the President, is that we are looking for 800,000 votes in Ekiti State, representing about 90 per cent,” he said.
The Campaign Director General also, commended political leaders and former governorship candidates from the PDP, APM and SDP for joining the APC campaign, describing their presence as a demonstration of solidarity with Oyebanji and support for Tinubu’s second-term ambition.
He called on the governor and other political stakeholders to mobilise voters for the President, arguing that the Tinubu administration had demonstrated commitment to Ekiti through investments in education, infrastructure, youth development and women empowerment.
Also speaking, APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, appealed to Ekiti residents to support Tinubu’s re-election and vote for other APC candidates in the January 16, 2027 elections.
Yilwatda formally presented the party’s candidates for the senatorial, House of Representatives and State House of Assembly elections, saying his responsibility at the rally was to introduce the candidates and rally support for their electoral success across the state.
The APC chairman described Tinubu as a performer and reformer, highlighting what he called significant policy reforms and infrastructure projects undertaken by the administration to improve the lives of Nigerians.
He cited ongoing and completed road projects in Ekiti and neighbouring areas, including the road linking Ekiti State to Akure in Ondo State, while acknowledging the state government’s contributions to infrastructure development.
Yilwatda also commended Governor Oyebanji, saying his re-election reflected public confidence in his administration’s performance.
On the Federal Government’s tax reforms, the APC chairman said the Tinubu administration had granted tax relief to low-income earners and small business operators, thereby easing their financial burden.
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