Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji has said he has divine mandate to break the second term jinx that has denied previous governors the opportunity to serve two unbroken terms.
He said former governors Niyi Adebayo and Ayodele Fayose did not win elections for second term, adding that he was determined to break the jinx.
He spoke yesterday at the National Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja, after submitting his nomination and expression of interest forms, ahead of the October 27 primary election.
The governor, accompanied by the first governor of the state, Otunba Niyi Adebayo, members of the state executive council, members of national and state assemblies, elected and party local government chairmen, traditional leaders, market leaders, opinion and students’ leaders, called on the party leadership to help the state by breaking the jinx.
Addressing a large crowd of party supporters, which had in attendance some members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party, the governor appealed to the party’s highest administrative organ to help actualise the dream.
Oyebanji noted that the development of the state had been hampered by the trend of denying governors the opportunity to serve second term, as projects and policies suffered non-continuity due to the second term denial of any serving governor.
“We have come here to plead with you (the party leadership) that the only thing that is standing against Ekiti people and development is this come-and-go attitude of governors. You know, it’s not in our best interest as a people. And by the same grace of God, I have a divine mandate to break this jinx. And the jinx will be broken because God sent us for this purpose.’’
The governor lamented that “since the creation of Ekiti State, no government has done a second term. No government in Ekiti State has done a second term in a stretch.
“You know, they will go. They will come back. And this has hit us to the canvas. It has retarded the development of the state.”
Appealing to the party leadership in attendance, Oyebanji said: “If the people have chosen to come in this large number, to plead with you, to help us remove this reproach from us as a state, we see it as a jinx that must be broken. We see it as a reproach that has retarded our growth as a state. We don’t want the current gains to be reversed.”
Responding on behalf of the NWC, the National Vice Chairman (Southwest), Isaacs Kekemeke, said the party’s highest administrative organ will look into the request and ensure the jinx is broken.
“We are umpires; we will do what you say. This is the groundwork for what we need to do by June next year. We must demonstrate by next year that Ekiti is one.
“The governor and his team came to make a statement, and that statement has been loudly made and we have heard you clearly.”
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele said the entire legislative arm of government in the state, including the federal lawmakers were solidly behind the aspiration of Governor Oyebanji.
“Three senators and six House of Representatives members. All of us are standing behind Governor Oyebanji because we are convinced it’s the right thing to do.
“All the 26 members of the state assembly are here, led by their speaker. All our local government chairmen are here, as well as party chairmen. These are the delegates that will vote at the primary.”
Another governorship aspirant, Mrs. Oluremi Omolayo, submitted her nomination form to contest the party’s ticket on October 27.
Submission of nomination will close today.
