Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has charged All Progressives Congress leaders and stakeholders in the state to remain united and mobilise total support for the re-election of President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general election.

Oyebanji spoke at an APC stakeholders’ meeting held at the Government House, Ado Ekiti, on Monday, where an eight-member committee, headed by a chieftain, Chief Alaba Abejide, was set up to oversee preparations for the party’s ward, local government and state congresses billed for September this year.

Oyebanji, who said the congresses would be crucial to the party’s preparations for the December local government polls, as well as the 2027 general elections, expressed confidence in Abejide’s ability to do a good job.

He urged the stakeholders to embrace unity and inclusivity with a view to stabilising and strengthening the party at the grassroots, saying, “Once again I appeal to us all that we need to give our best to our President, he has been so good to us, he has been extremely supportive and this is the only opportunity to say thank you”.

He hailed the party leaders and members for their collective efforts and unity that produced victory for the party in the June 20 governorship election, urging that the congresses must be conducted in a way that would position the party for victories in successive elections beyond 2030.

The governor said, “We have broken the jinx of consecutive tenure; we have to break another jinx when I leave in 2030: another APC person must emerge, and the foundation for that is these congresses.

“This congress has implications for a lot of things; it has implications for the local government election in December, it has implications for the presidential and the national and state assembly in January and February respectively.

“We have a tradition that has worked for us, and that is what we are still going to follow. The leaders must do everything to ensure that we have a strong party that will, in another four years, produce another governor”.

Earlier, the APC State Chairman, Sola Elesin, congratulated the governor on his re-election and also hailed party leaders and members for their commitment and contributions, which he said were instrumental to the overwhelming victory secured on June 20.

Elesin urged the party to sustain the momentum by ensuring a massive turnout of voters in the subsequent elections, stressing that “the party must remain focused and committed to mobilising the electorate particularly ahead of the 2027 general election”.

A former governor, Segun Oni, stressed the need for all stakeholders to rejig their strategies and strengthen their mobilisation efforts ahead of the forthcoming presidential election.

Oni urged stakeholders to “focus on increasing voter turnout by deepening grassroots engagement and ensuring that supporters are adequately mobilised to participate in the election”.

Also present at the event were the Deputy Governor, Mrs Monisade Afuye; Speaker, Ekiti State House of Assembly, Adeoye Aribasoye; Secretary to the State Government, Prof Habibat Adubiaro; Chief of Staff, Niyi Adebayo; and leaders of the party across the state.