The All Progressives Congress (APC) has set a target of 800,000 votes for President Bola Tinubu in Ekiti State ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The party announced the target during its presidential campaign rally in Ado-Ekiti on Thursday, November 5.
Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, urged party leaders to intensify grassroots mobilisation.
He said the party wanted at least 800,000 votes from the state during the January 16, 2027 election.
Yari recalled that Ekiti gave Tinubu about 80 per cent of its votes in 2023. He said the President deserved greater support for his administration’s interventions.
APC seeks 90 per cent support in Ekiti
Yari said Ekiti had approximately 1.08 million registered voters. More than 900,000 residents had collected their Permanent Voter Cards, he added.
He challenged Governor Biodun Oyebanji and other APC leaders to mobilise voters across the state.
Yari also urged opposition parties to explain how their policies would differ from the current administration’s programmes.
He argued that Tinubu’s government had introduced reforms to reposition the economy. He also claimed that inflation and food prices had declined significantly.
Yilwatda highlights Tinubu’s tax reforms
APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, presented the party’s candidates at the rally.
They included Tinubu and the party’s candidates for the Senate, House of Representatives and Ekiti State House of Assembly.
Yilwatda urged residents to support all APC candidates in the 2027 elections. He said the party wanted to retain the presidency and strengthen its presence in the legislature.
He highlighted the administration’s tax reforms, particularly the exemption of small businesses with annual turnover below ₦100 million from tax obligations.
According to him, the policy would protect small businesses and low-income earners from unnecessary tax burdens.
Oshiomhole challenges opposition parties
Former Edo State Governor and Senator, Adams Oshiomhole, also challenged opposition parties to explain their alternative plans.
He defended Tinubu’s economic reforms and highlighted government interventions in education, workers’ welfare, security and industrial development.
Oshiomhole said expanded access to universities and the student loan scheme had created more opportunities for young Nigerians.
He also blamed previous administrations for the decline of several local industries. He particularly mentioned the textile sector.
The senator argued that reviving local industries would help tackle unemployment and poverty.
Shettima asks opposition to present their records
Vice-President Kashim Shettima urged the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and other opposition parties to present their achievements during campaigns.
He said voters should assess parties based on their records and what they offered Nigerians.
Shettima also asked Ekiti residents to give Tinubu 90 per cent of their votes in 2027.
He thanked the state for supporting the President in the 2023 election. He also referenced Governor Oyebanji’s recent re-election victory, in which the governor secured 85.7 per cent of the votes.
Meanwhile, Oyebanji assured Tinubu of Ekiti’s support. He expressed confidence that the state would deliver victory for the President in 2027.
The rally forms part of the APC’s nationwide mobilisation ahead of the January 16 presidential election.
