- A day after the July 14 election, Kayode Fayemi was in Ado Ekiti to celebrate
- The governor-elect was cheered on by the people of the state as his convoy drove round the city
Ekiti state governor-elect, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, on Sunday literally locked down parts of Ado Ekiti, in a victory dance procession that lasted for hours. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the former minister of mines and steel development arrived in the state capital at about 3p.m. from his Isan Ekiti country home, accompanied by several vehicles, volunteered by political associates and friends. Scorers of residents, comprising a section of public service workers, artisans, okada riders as well as some students unions, had gathered at various strategic locations around the city as early as 1p.m. to either catch a glimpse of the newly-elected governor or cheer him up. The procession halted both human and vehicular movements for a couple of hours, even as many sang his praises and danced stylishly. Addressing the crowd, Fayemi expressed gratitude to Ekiti people for voting massively for him on Saturday. He promised to fulfil his electioneering campaigns saying every aspect of human life would be touched in his second coming into office.
”Last Saturday July 14, 2018 was the day you the people of Ekiti spoke and your voice was heard resoundingly. On same Saturday, in keeping with the finest traditions of democracy, you determined through the ballot box to change the course of our destiny for good. ”The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has affirmed your collective verdict and formally returned our party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), as winner of the 2018 Ekiti gubernatorial election ”This victory is to the resilient people of Ekiti State whose brightness and hope never dimmed in the face of untold hardship and all forms of indignity under the PDP leadership who has ruled you like a conquered people. ”As a survival strategy, our people were forced to hail them on the streets all in a bid to survive. They brandished this as a mark of approval, validation and popularity with our people. ”This is is not just a day of our victory through the ballot. This is indeed the day of the liberation of Ekiti land. “Our collective rescue mission and the audacious dream to reclaim our land and restore our values have attained a new height on the journey to full realization. ”I am particularly pleased that while there were reports of minor breaches as you would find with any high stakes contest, the entire process was adjudged to be generally free, fair and credible.
”The very nature of elections are divisive as we cannot all see things from the same perspective, neither can we all have the same preference for political parties and candidates. ”However, regardless of how we voted on Saturday, I encourage us all to accept the results in true democratic spirit and commence the journey to reuniting our state. ”Despite the divisive nature of the contest, I want you to remember our bond of unity as Ekiti people. I, Dr. John Kayode Fayemi, hereby offer myself to be the governor of all irrespective of faith, creed or political belief.” Fayemi saluted all other candidates for enriching the process and for their civility and patriotism in accepting the outcome of the exercise, saying he looked forward to consulting with them and secure their input. He also thanked all government entities that participated in the process in one way or the other, especially the INEC and the security agencies, for upholding their neutrality and professionalism in the discharge of their mandates. Fayemi thanked all civic society actors, the international community, traditional institutions, religious organisations, trade and labour organisations and the media, for their activities which contributed to the success of the elections. He also thanked President Muhammadu Buhari and the leadership of APC at all levels for the support in bringing Ekiti back to the progressive fold.
”As we look forward to the inauguration of the new APC administration on Tuesday, October 16, 2018, I offer my assurances that we will not wait till then to bring immediate succour to you. ”We will proactively explore all avenues within the limits of the law, especially through the Transition Committee to be set up very soon, to ensure the outgoing administration prioritises the payment of the backlog of salaries to all categories of workers and pensioners.
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