Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji has reaffirmed his commitment to inclusive governance and the sustained implementation of the state’s 30-year development agenda following his historic re-election.
Governor Oyebanji made the pledge on Wednesday after presenting his Certificate of Return to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Accompanied by the head of the Ekiti State Governorship Campaign Council and Senate leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, the governor described his unprecedented re-election—the first time any governor in Ekiti State has secured a second-term mandate—as a strong endorsement of his administration’s performance and its fulfilment of the promises made to the people.
“Well, I have my job cut out for me. We have a 30-year development plan that I’m following, so we continue to diligently follow that plan. ‘You know, we are not going to do anything differently, because that 30-year development plan is the basis upon which our budget yearly is built and upon which the manifesto is crafted,’ he said.
Oyebamiji added that the President’s support and the successful implementation of his administration’s promises played a significant role in his electoral victory.
On post-election reconciliation, Oyebanji said the contest had ended with the declaration of the winner, adding that he had reached out to the opposition candidates to foster unity and inclusive governance.
“Well, I’m here with the head of the campaign council. The election ended when the winner was declared. I phoned the two other candidates, and with the head of the campaign council, we visited one of them, and we had an understanding. And once I get back to Ekiti, I will visit the other one, you know, and they’ve assured me of their cooperation because the election has ended and politics has ended; we have to move back to governance, and if it is won, I told them that I will need all of them, their wisdom, their suggestions and their advice in ensuring that we continue to deliver to our people.”
The governor said his administration would continue to welcome constructive advice from all political stakeholders, stressing that governance, rather than politics, must now take priority.
Speaking on his second-term agenda, Oyebanji said his administration would remain committed to implementing Ekiti State’s 30-year Development Plan, describing it as the foundation for the state’s annual budgets and policy direction.
Looking ahead to the 2027 general elections, the governor expressed confidence in President Tinubu’s re-election prospects, citing the All Progressives Congress’ growing electoral strength in Ekiti State.
He noted that the party increased its votes from about 187,000 during the 2022 governorship election to over 210,000 in the 2023 presidential election, before recording about 318,000 votes in the recent governorship poll.
According to the governor, the party is targeting between 600,000 and 700,000 votes for President Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
State Police
On the proposed establishment of state police, Governor Oyebanji said Ekiti State was fully prepared to implement the initiative, noting that governors across the country had endorsed the constitutional amendments currently before the National Assembly.
“NEC has met, and most states have submitted their position; we are ready for state police, and we are thankful to the National Assembly for the amendments to the constitutions, and we are waiting for it to be transmitted to the State House Assembly, and the governors have made up their minds that they are going to give it a speedy approval so that we can start implementing.”
He expressed optimism that once transmitted to the state houses of assembly, the amendments would receive speedy approval to pave the way for implementation.
