By Our Correspondent
Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has unveiled a network of 5,000 community canvassers to mobilise grassroots support for his re-election in the 2026 Ekiti governorship election and for President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The initiative is aimed at strengthening the campaign structure of the All Progressives Congress (APC) across communities in the state.
The canvassers, operating under the Person-to-Person Community Canvassers initiative, were inaugurated on Friday as part of a large-scale mobilisation drive targeting voters across Ekiti’s towns and rural communities.
The programme was coordinated by the Director-General of the Bureau of Community Communications, Mary Oso-Omotosho.
Speaking during the inauguration ceremony, Oyebanji commended the volunteers for their commitment to promoting continuity in governance and urged them to conduct their mobilisation activities peacefully.
According to him, political engagement should unite rather than divide the people of Ekiti.
The governor also called on residents to participate actively in the democratic process by registering with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and obtaining their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of the June 20 governorship election.
Oyebanji expressed confidence that the APC would secure victory at the polls and emphasised the importance of a strong voter turnout.
He noted that the canvassers’ grassroots engagement would play a critical role in delivering a decisive mandate for his administration and the ruling party.
Oso-Omotosho explained that the canvassing network consists of volunteers drawn from neighbourhoods, markets, places of worship, youth groups, and professional associations across the state.
She stated that each canvasser is expected to mobilise at least 25 voters, potentially delivering up to 125,000 votes during the election.
She added that the initiative reflects growing grassroots support for the governor’s administration and highlighted the launch of a vote-tracking digital platform designed to monitor mobilisation efforts across communities.
The event attracted several political leaders and stakeholders, including the Deputy Governor, Monisade Afuye, the Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Adeoye Aribasoye, the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Niyi Adebayo, and the Special Adviser on Political Matters, Jide Awe.
Representatives from the Christian and Islamic communities, youth organisations, market associations, artisans, and members of the organised private sector were also present at the ceremony.
