APC’ll recapture Ekiti in 2018 –ex-Speaker

Former Speaker of Ekiti State House of Assembly and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Femi Bamisile has boasted that the party would recapture Ekiti from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2018.

Bamisile, who was the Speaker during the admin­istration of former Governor Segun Oni, stated that the loss suffered by ex-Governor Kayode Fayemi to Mr Ayo­dele Fayose, was a tempo­rary setback to the party.
Bamisile spoke in Ado Ekiti weekend during a meeting he convened and at­tended by stakeholders from all the 16 Local Government Areas.
The ex-Speaker, who hails from Kota Ekiti in Ekiti South senatorial dis­trict of the State, said he has declared his interest in the 2018 governorship election
Bamisile appealed to the party members to begin the process of reaching out to “commercial drivers and motorcyclists, teachers, civil servants, artisans, market men and women and other critical stakeholders to make the dream of recapturing the state a reality.”
Bamisile also enjoined the party leaders to embrace whoever is appointed as Minister by President Mu­hammadu Buhari, so that the party could form a strong coalition that could dislodge Fayose ‘s political machin­ery in the forthcoming Gov­ernorship poll.
“I am very certain that APC will take over Ekiti in 2018. But we have to start the process of rebuilding the party and that is exactly what we are doing. I have devel­oped a team across the 16 Council Areas. We are work­ing underground and we will ensure that everybody is brought on board.
“Though, Fayemi’s loss brought a little setback, but if you go round you will re­alize that APC is still a party to beat in Ekiti. All we need to do is to reconcile all di­vided interests and sensitize our people,” he said.
He praised President Bu­hari for the N2.1 billion bailout he released for the payment of salaries in Ekiti State. On the crisis rocking the National Assembly over emergence of Senator Bu­kola Saraki and Hon Yakubu Dogara , as Senate President and Speaker, House of Rep­resentatives, respectively, Bamisile assured that the bedlam would soon be over.
From WOLE BALOGUN, Ado Ekiti