BY GBENGA ARIYIBI AND DAPO AKINREFON

ADO-EKITI literary stood still for several hours last Wednesday for Governor Kayode Fayemi and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

It was a day APC national leaders converged and presented one of their own with their party flag as candidate for the June 21 election.
It was also an avenue for Dr Fayemi to unveil his manifesto for the people of the Ekiti State.

Fayemi gets flag from Akande

Party supporters from all the 16 local councils of the state, youths, the elderly and young people stormed the Oluyemi Kayode Stadium venue of the mega rally.
Aside this, the town witnessed an influx of visitors and personalities from different parts of the country, especially states controlled by the APC.

The stadium was filled to capacity and hawkers and food sellers had a field day.
Major streets in the state capital, especially those linking the stadium were not only locked by traffic, but were guarded by fierce-looking security agents.

Trade associations, students’ groups and artisans appeared in Ankara, vests and fez caps with “Kayode Fayemi for Second Term”, “JFK: Ko duro soke” and the APC’s logo boldly imprinted on them.

Combined security
On hand was a combined security of Policemen and officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) and the State Security Service (SSS) and the state owned traffic agency were at their best to control the crowd at the stadium.

Roll call: Dignitaries present at the event include former Head of State, Alhaji Muhammadu Buhari, former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, interim national chairman of APC, Chief Bisi Akande and Chief Ogbonnaya Onu. Others are Governor Rochas Okoroacha (Imo), Governor Raji Fashola (Lagos), Governor Tanko Al-Makura (Nassarawa), Governor Rabiu Kwakwanso (Kano), Governor Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Governor Abdulfatai Ahmed (Kwara), Governor Rauf Aregbesola (Osun), Governor Adams Oshiomhole (Edo) and Governor Geidam (Yobe).

Also present are former governors of Ogun, Bayelsa and Ekiti States, Chief Segun Osoba, Chief Timipre Slyva, Otunba Niyi Adebayo and Engineer Segun Oni, the deputy governors of Osun and Ekiti States, Mrs Titi Laoye Tomori and Professor Modupe Adelabu, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, Chief Tom Ikimi, Sen Osita Izunaso, Sen Femi Ojudu, Sen Jide Omoworare, Sen Olorunnimbe Mamora, Aminu Masari, Alhaji Abubakar Baraje and Mr Rotimi Akeredolu.

A minute silence for bomb blast victims
Also available to thrill the people and lend their support at the even were popular actors, actresses, musicians and comedians but it was not to be.

The party’s leadership decided to cut short the fanfare in honour of not only the abducted Chibok girls but the bomb blast victims who lost their lives in Jos, the Plateau State capital, the previous day.

* The national publicity secretary of the party, Alhaji Lai Mohammed told the gathering why they decided to hold the rally a day after the Jos bomb blast which claimed scores of lives.

He said the party was handicapped in putting on hold the programme because INEC had already given approval for the programme to be  held on that day. Aside this, he said the party has decided to abridge its programme for the day as a sign of solidarity for the Jos victims.

We’re proud of Fayemi—Buhari
In his remarks, Alhaji Buhari urged the people of Ekiti state to cast their votes for Fayemi’s second term saying the governor has performed well. He said “I am truly impressed with the mobilization and the response, not only by Ekiti people, but people all over Nigeria. I congratulate the governor for his capacity to move and deliver because we have seen what he has done in the last three and the half years.

I also thank the members Progressives Governors’ Forum for giving him the support he deserves and the leadership of the party. We are proud to have a competent person in the saddle. We pledge full support to the governor.”

APC is cure for ineptitude —Tinubu
On his part, the former Lagos State governor, Asiwaju Tinubu appealed to Ekiti people not to sell their votes.
Tinubu said “APC is the cure of ineptitude, the cure of the security problem, the cure to poverty, the cure to unemployment. The party is the cure, Fayemi is the doctor. I do not have to sell Fayemi to you again. We thank all of you for your presence but your presence can only materialize in the sustenance of developmental programmes of this state and the south western states.”

He further enjoined the people of the state not to be intimidated by security personnel saying “Do not sell your votes, make sure on the day of the election, do not fear. We pay the salaries of the police and the army because we are their employers and they are supposed to protect us. Do not be afraid, demand your right because you may not have this opportunity again until after four years”.

While the governor of Imo State,Owelle Rochas  Okorocha who spoke on behalf of the Progressive  Governors,and  his counterparts in Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and Governor Adams Oshiomole of Edo State, said their supports for Fayemi was borne out of the solid and enduring legacies he has laid in Ekiti in the last four years

.Okorocha, who condemned the level of carnage in the Northern part of the country, said “Nigerians must reject the PDP in all elections. When the wicked are in power, the people will suffer but when the righteous are there, the people rejoice. “If not for the fact that Fayemi has identified interest to be Governor of Ekiti State, he is qualified to be Governor anywhere in the country”, he said.

Endorsing Fayemi: The 12 APC governors represent, took turns to have over their endorsement forms to Dr Fayemi, reassuring him of their support for his second term bid.

Oni got the day: One person, who got a standing ovation from audience was the former governor of the state, Engr Segun Oni. Oni who spoke with emotion, appealed to the people of the state to cast their vote for Fayemi. Being his first public outing after leaving office, Oni said a vote for Fayemi amounts to vote for total transformation of the state.

Ekiti is moving forward—Fayemi: In his speech, Fayemi said although the state has witnessed a massive change in the last three and half years, he said he was motivated to present himself for re-election because of the need to build a society where all Ekiti people will be partakers of a collective prosperity.

The governor officially unveiled his manifesto for second term which was tagged “Roadmap to Rapid Economic Growth and Development” otherwise known as the Ekiti Agenda.