Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, on Wednesday presented his Certificate of Return to President Bola Tinubu during a meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, following his re-election for a second term in office.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, the governor attributed his victory to the grace of God and the support of President Tinubu, saying both factors enabled his administration to fulfill its promises to the people.
“It is not about what I have done differently. It is about two factors: the grace of God and the support of the President that enabled us to deliver on our promises to our people. These are the two factors that led to the result we saw two weeks ago,” he said.
On post-election reconciliation, Oyebanji said the governorship contest was over and that his administration was focused on inclusive governance.
“The election ended when the winner was declared. I phoned the two other candidates, and together with the Chairman of the Campaign Council, we visited one of them. We had an understanding, and once I return to Ekiti, I will visit the other. They have assured me of their cooperation because politics has ended and governance must take centre stage. I will continue to seek their wisdom, suggestions and advice as we work to deliver more dividends of democracy to our people,” he stated.
The governor said his second-term agenda would remain anchored on the state’s 30-year development plan, stressing that there would be no deviation from the long-term strategy.
“We have a 30-year development plan that we are following diligently. That plan forms the basis of our annual budgets and our manifesto, so we will continue on that path,” he said.
Looking ahead to the 2027 general elections, Oyebanji expressed confidence that President Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) would record an improved performance in Ekiti State.
He recalled that he secured about 187,000 votes during the 2022 governorship election, while Tinubu polled over 210,000 votes in the 2023 presidential election. According to him, the APC’s vote tally rose to about 318,000 in the just-concluded governorship election.
“Our target in 2027 is to deliver between 600,000 and 700,000 votes, and it is achievable,” he said.
On the proposed establishment of state police, the governor said the Nigeria Governors’ Forum had reached a consensus in support of the initiative.
According to him, most states have submitted their positions, while governors are awaiting the transmission of the constitutional amendment to their respective State Houses of Assembly for ratification.
“We are ready for state police. We appreciate the National Assembly for the constitutional amendments, and once the bills are transmitted to the State Houses of Assembly, governors are prepared to give them speedy approval so implementation can begin,” he added.
Also speaking, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele acknowledged concerns that some governors could abuse state police but assured Nigerians that adequate safeguards were being built into the constitutional amendment process.
“There will always be fears, and many of them are legitimate. However, we are putting mechanisms in the law to prevent or minimise abuse by state governors. Not everything can be captured in the Constitution, but further details will be provided in the amendment to the Police Act,” he said.
Bamidele described state police as “a child of necessity,” insisting that the proposal had moved beyond partisan politics.
“It is no longer about political interests. We are all on the same page that there is a need for state police, and the accompanying amendments to the Police Act will provide additional operational details,” he said.