Vice-President Kashim Shettima has called on voters in Ekiti State to deliver at least 90 per cent of the votes cast in the January 16, 2027 presidential election to President Bola Tinubu, citing the administration’s projects and interventions in the state.
Shettima made the appeal on Thursday during the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign rally at the Ekiti Parapo Pavilion in Ado-Ekiti, where he represented Tinubu.
The Vice-President praised the people of Ekiti for their support during the 2023 presidential election and urged them to renew their backing for the President, arguing that the administration had remained committed to its promises.
He said the Federal Government had returned to the state to account for its achievements and outline the work still ahead, while seeking another mandate to continue its programmes.
According to him, the administration’s policies and interventions were beginning to yield results despite the sacrifices Nigerians had made since the introduction of its economic reforms.
Shettima also highlighted the importance of healthcare and electricity, describing them as essential services to the welfare and dignity of citizens.
The campaign rally provided an opportunity for the Vice-President to defend Tinubu’s leadership record and contrast the ruling party’s political structure with that of opposition parties.
He questioned the influence of opposition figures in their home states, particularly former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, the African Democratic Congress presidential candidate.
Shettima argued that political relevance was determined by grassroots support and electoral structures rather than activity on social media.
“The opposition can rake and rant, but there are no polling booths on Instagram or on Facebook,” he said.
He also questioned why some former governors and political leaders in Adamawa State were not supporting Atiku, arguing that opposition candidates needed to demonstrate their influence in their home states.
On federal projects in Ekiti, Shettima highlighted road construction, the establishment of the Federal University of Technology and Environmental Sciences at Iyin-Ekiti, and student loans provided through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund.
He said the administration had completed the Ado-Ikere-Akure road and awarded contracts for the reconstruction of the Ado-Ijan-Iluomoba-Ikole and Ado-Aramoko-Itawure roads.
The Vice-President urged residents to support Tinubu for another term, saying the President needed additional time to consolidate ongoing projects and reforms.
Also speaking at the rally, APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, called on Ekiti residents to support the party across all elective positions in the 2027 elections.
He described Tinubu as a performer and reformer, pointing to the administration’s tax reforms, education interventions and infrastructure projects as reasons for seeking another mandate.
The Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Abdulaziz Yari, also appealed to Ekiti voters to deliver at least 800,000 votes for Tinubu.
Yari said the target was achievable, given the political support the President enjoyed in the state and the growing alliance among political leaders ahead of the election.
Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji, in his remarks, assured the President that the state would deliver 90 per cent of its votes to him in the presidential election.
Oyebanji said the administration had demonstrated commitment to Ekiti through federal projects and other interventions, adding that the state would reciprocate by supporting Tinubu’s re-election.
Former governors of the state, including Kayode Fayemi, Ayodele Fayose and Niyi Adebayo, were among the political leaders present at the rally.
Some former governorship candidates who contested on the platforms of opposition parties also declared support for Tinubu’s second-term ambition.
