The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Adams Oshiomhole, and the former Governor of Abia State, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu, on Monday, met labour leaders and N’digbo living in the state to persuade them to vote for the APC candidate, Dr Kayode Fayemi, in the July 14 governorship election.
While Oshiomhole led the team to canvass votes among the labour leaders led by the former Chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress in Ekiti State, Ayodeji Aluko, Kalu led the delegation that met with members of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo at a separate meeting.
The two leaders recalled Fayemi’s “landmark achievements” in Ekiti between 2010 and 2014 when he was governor of the State.
At the parley with Ndigbo were Governors Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo) and Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi).
Assuring workers that Fayemi won’t sack them, Oshiomhole said the APC would win the election not by intimidation but based on past records of Fayemi.
“Our task as labour leaders is not to agonise but to have the will to fight. I have not come to lament that Fayose has not paid workers; I have come to give a guarantee to the workers of Ekiti that their welfare will be a priority to us.
“Fayemi knows that if he doesn’t perform especially for workers, I will box him from Abuja. Don’t be afraid, I am behind you and I will get whatever is due to you from Dr Fayemi if you convince your people to give him the votes.”
Kalu, while addressing the Igbo residents in Ekiti, said Fayemi had promised to give financial support to their businesses the way he did in his first term if elected governor again.
He said, “You have to vote for a man that is better equipped for the job. Don’t listen to the rumour that APC is an Islamic party.
“When President Muhammadu Buhari came, he inherited a massively looted economy. The PDP people were just going to the Central Bank of Nigeria to collect money on the order of the then President.
“You know what it means for the CBN to be looted and that was why we experienced the economic recession when Buhari came and today we are out of it.
“APC remains the best party for Ndigbo. I cannot be bribed by anybody to deceive you.
“President Buhari did the second Niger Bridge. He also awarded many road contracts in the South-East. Did former President Olusegun Obasanjo, late Umaru Yar’Adua and Dr Goodluck Jonathan do all these?”