2018 Poll: Shun stomach infrastructure – Group to Ekiti Voters

True Face of Ekiti, a social advocacy group has commenced mobilization of voters in Ekiti State ahead of the 2018 governorship election urging them to shun financial and material inducement from politicians.

The Convener and Chief Operating Officer of True Face of Ekiti, Tosin Jegede, described the group as a non-partisan interested in restoring the Ekiti core value of integrity, honesty and sincerity.

Jegede said the group, which has members across political parties and others who don’t belong to any party, is at the forefront of packaging and re-branding Ekiti image and telling the Ekiti story in the right perspective.

Speaking at the launch of the group in Ado Ekiti, Jegede expressed regrets about the image of Ekiti after the 2014 governorship poll, in which the people of the state were perceived as hungry for allegedly embracing stomach infrastructure rather than voting according to their conscience.

The group, with over 200 membership, lamented the decadence in the moral and ethical values of Ekiti people, saying most of the bad leaders being produced in the country came into being through alleged compromise of political parties, who fondly fielded charlatans as candidates.

He said: “Today, Ekiti is being perceived as poor people because of the stomach infrastructure programme of our government. We should preach the gospel that an average Ekiti can’t be bought easily.

“We should let the whole world has correct perception about us so that we can begin to fly higher wherever we go.

“Charlatans and those who have no respect for Ekiti’s core values of dignity, self-respect and hardwork are always came out to become leaders, the 2018 election will be different.

“We will complement the parties in decision-making process before the primaries by engaging  the aspirants and ensure that those with the right passion to develop Ekiti  are  endorsed by this group for Ekiti electorate.

“With this, whoever emerges governor will be a blessing to our people since those flying the parties flags were well scrutinized and found to possess the right credentials and moral standard to lead our people.

“We should tell the world that Ekiti produced the first professor of Mathematics, Prof. Adegoke Olubunmo, the first Professor of Architecture in Africa, Prof Adeyinka Adeyemi , the revered Prof Sam Aluko, Prof. Niyi Osundare and others were from Ekiti. This is the correct message we want to send out”.