Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State – March 7, 2026
Ekiti State Governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, on Friday inaugurated 5,000 person-to-person community canvassers tasked with securing votes for his re-election on June 20, 2026, and for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 general election.
The canvassers, organised under the Directorate of Community Communications led by Mrs Mary Oso-Omotosho, are expected to engage voters door-to-door, house-to-house and person-to-person across all 177 wards in the state. Speaking during the inauguration ceremony held at the Government House Pavilion in Ado-Ekiti, Governor Oyebanji described the initiative as a powerful grassroots movement driven by genuine conviction rather than financial inducement.
The governor expressed profound appreciation to the volunteers for dedicating their time and energy to the cause of continuity and progress. He urged them to conduct their mobilisation with peace, decorum and respect for all political actors, emphasising that no political ambition is worth the blood of any citizen.
“The only way to say thank you to President Tinubu for all he has been doing for Ekiti State is to come out en masse to vote on June 20 and test the microphone,” Oyebanji said. “For the presidential election, we don’t want to leave anyone behind. I will hold you to your promises, and it is doable.”
He expressed strong confidence in the APC’s prospects in the June 20 governorship poll, stating that the party is targeting a landslide victory with a wide margin that would serve as a strong signal of hope and momentum ahead of the 2027 national elections.
“As you continue with this evangelism, please be at peace with everybody. We are one in Ekiti State; we should not allow politics to divide us. I don’t want you to fight with anyone,” the governor pleaded.
He appealed to all contestants, political parties and supporters to campaign with decency and maturity, saying: “Let everybody go and sell themselves and their manifestoes to the people of Ekiti State and let the people make their choice. No ambition is worth the blood of any citizen.”
Governor Oyebanji also encouraged eligible residents who are yet to register to take advantage of the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and participate fully in the electoral process.
Canvassers to Deliver 125,000 Votes – Oso-Omotosho
The Director-General of the Bureau of Community Communications, Mrs Mary Oso-Omotosho, explained that the 5,000 canvassers were carefully selected from diverse grassroots structures — including communities, neighbourhoods, places of worship, markets, artisan groups, youth organisations and women associations.
She said each canvasser has been tasked with personally engaging and delivering at least 25 committed voters, giving the group a collective target of 125,000 votes. A dedicated vote-tracking website has been developed to monitor progress, verify numbers and ensure accountability.
“These canvassers are ordinary citizens from our communities who have volunteered by conviction because they have seen your positive impact,” Oso-Omotosho told the governor. “They are not here as political office-seekers; they are here door-to-door, house-to-house, person-to-person to canvass support for continuity and progress.”
She described Governor Oyebanji’s leadership as “a rare kind of leadership that exudes and exemplifies humanitarian governance,” noting that his administration has run an inclusive and people-centred government since its inception.
Dignitaries at the Event
The inauguration was attended by several top government officials and political leaders, including:
Deputy Governor, Mrs Monisade Afuye
Speaker, Ekiti State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adeoye Aribasoye
Chief of Staff to the Governor, Hon. Niyi Adebayo
Special Adviser to the Governor on Political Matters, Chief Jide Awe
Also present were representatives of Christian and Islamic communities, traditional rulers, market women associations, youth groups, artisans, the organised private sector and other critical stakeholders.
Strategic Context
The mobilisation exercise is part of the APC’s early groundwork in Ekiti ahead of the June 20, 2026 governorship election and the 2027 general elections. With the APC currently controlling the governorship and holding a strong majority in the state House of Assembly, the party is seeking to consolidate its dominance and deliver a decisive victory that would reinforce its national standing.
Governor Oyebanji, who assumed office in October 2022, has focused his administration on road infrastructure, rural electrification, healthcare improvement, education support, youth empowerment and agricultural development under his O’Yes agenda. The 5,000-person canvassing structure is designed to translate these achievements into votes through direct, personal engagement at the grassroots level.
The event underscores the APC’s determination to maintain control of Ekiti State while contributing significantly to President Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027. Party leaders say the canvassers represent a model of volunteer-driven, conviction-based mobilisation that avoids the pitfalls of vote-buying and thuggery.
As the June 20 election draws closer, all eyes are on how effectively the canvassing programme will translate into voter turnout and margin of victory in what is expected to be a keenly contested race.
