Ekiti Governor Election: Oyebanji’s Aide Anticipates Strong Voter Turnout

The Special Adviser on Media to Governor Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti, Mr. Yinka Oyebode, has forecasted a strong voter turnout for the Saturday governorship election in the state.

He also suggested that the election could be one of the most peaceful in Ekiti's history.

Oyebode made the remarks while meeting media executives in Ado Ekiti on Friday.

He attributed his optimism to the open campaign environment that Governor Oyebanji has allowed all political parties to enjoy across the state.

He noted that past elections in the state had seen violence due to the suppression of opposition political activities by the ruling government.

Oyebode stressed, “But this time, the governor regarded Ekiti citizens as one entity, hence the enabling environment given to the opposition parties to operate freely.”

“Everyone in Ekiti enjoys equal rights and freedom irrespective of political, religious or cultural affiliations.”

The governor’s aide linked previous election violence to what he described as reactionary actions by the opposition in a hostile political environment, often created by the incumbent government.

However, after reviewing the process so far, Oyebode said that Ekiti remains the most peaceful state in the country.

“We expect a very good turnout. We have seen it even in the collection of PVC,” he said. “So far people have made almost 91 per cent of the collection. And there has been a remarkable improvement in what we had in terms of voter registration in the previous elections.”

“Again, there is no report of the opposition saying that they were not allowed to operate, unlike the situation before, and this is a clear indication that we are expecting a peaceful and violence‑free exercise tomorrow,” he added.