The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship flag bearer in Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has said he desire to return to power is to better the lives of the citizenry and not to seek revenge against any individual or group.
He said good governance, which gives priority to a better standard of living will return to the state, when an APC government returns to power in October.
Fayemi noted that his victory at the APC governorship primary on Saturday has signaled the beginning of battle to rescue the state from bad governance, poverty and desecration of Ekiti values allegedly wreaked on the people by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) administration.
He made the remarks in his acceptance speech after winning the APC governorship primary beating 31 other contestants at a keenly contested battle for the party’s ticket at Damlek Event Centre, Oke Ila, Ado-Ekiti, Saturday night.
Fayemi polled 941 votes to defeat his immediate predecessor and former APC Deputy National Chairman (South), Chief Segun Oni, who received 481 votes. Mr. Kayode Ojo got 281 votes to come third.
The Isan-born politician was declared winner by the Ekiti State APC Governorship Primary Electoral Committee Chairman, Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa State.
Al-Makura who commended all stakeholders for their contribution to the success of the primary handed Fayemi the Certificate of Return as the APC candidate for the July 14 poll expressing optimism that the party would coast home to victory.
Making his speech after he was declared winner, Fayemi, who was joined by fellow aspirants on the podium, allayed the fears of the people of the state that he is on revenge mission on the electoral defeat he suffered in the June 21, 2014 election.
Fayemi also used the opportunity to apologize to all those offended by some policies his first administration executed noting that his desire to seek Ekiti people’s votes again was hinged on an unfinished business to make their life better.
The former governor urged party members and supporters to let go of all grievances in the course of the struggle for the governorship ticket and urged fellow party faithful to set aside differences and face the election as a united family.
He said: “Let me say this to Ekiti people who will wake up in the morning to hear the news of the result of my being the party’s gubernatorial candidate in the July 14 election, I want you, Ekiti people, to be rest assured that I am not on any vengeance mission.
“In accepting this onerous responsibility, I have a profound sense of unfinished business in making poverty history in this land.
“In the course of my previous service in this state, there are certainly acts of omission and commission in our quest to rapidly develop our state.
“This is an opportunity to apologize to those who might have been offended by our policies and programmes. Together, we will take our state to greater heights.”
He hailed fellow aspirants for providing the stiff competition that enriched the race for the APC ticket stressing that “all of them are eminently qualified to be governor of Ekiti State and will do better than characters presently at the helm.”
Fayemi announced that he was immediately setting up a Candidate Advisory Council comprising all the co-aspirants to share experience, plan ahead and ensure victory for the party at the governorship poll.
“In all electoral contests, tempers often rise and nerves are frayed. I therefore humbly appeal to all my supporters, and to my co-contestants and their supporters, to let go of past differences as we forge ahead to a new dawn.”
