Winning Ekiti Is Important To APC, Buhari Says

President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday evening said it was important for the ruling All Progressives Congress to win the July 14 governorship election in Ekiti State.

He said the victory was important because the election would serve as a pointer to subsequent elections in the country.

Buhari said this while hosting members of the APC South West caucus to a dinner at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

All aspirants that contested the party ticket in Ekiti State with the winner, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, were also present at the dinner.

The President said forthrightness, candour, and integrity that hitherto characterised the people of the state appeared to have been lost in the state currently being governed by Ayodele Fayose of the Peoples Democratic Party.

He said it was time for the APC to restore those lost values and return the state to the comity of states.

The President said, “I know Ekiti fairly well and Ekiti people are well known for their forthrightness, candour and integrity.

“All of these values seem to have been lost and we must restore these values and return Ekiti to its pride of place in the comity of states.

“As we approach the 2019 elections, the return of Ekiti into the fold of progressive states is important as the election of July 14 is going to be a key pointer to subsequent elections.”

He said all party chiefs must work together to ensure electoral victory for Fayemi.

Buhari insisted that he would never interfere in the internal affairs of the party at any level.

A former interim national chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande, told State House correspondents at the end of the meeting that all party chiefs in the South West would work for Fayemi’s success.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; a national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and the National Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun, were present at the dinner.

Governors at the meeting included Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo) and the Nasarawa State Governor, Tanko Al-Makura, who was the chairman of APC Ekiti Guber primaries committee.

Some members of the National Assembly, ministers, and stakeholders from the zone also attended the dinner.