The candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the June 18 governorship election in Ekiti State, Engr. Segun Oni, on Tuesday declared that he would win the election on Saturday. Oni who dumped the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and also dumped the PDP for the SDP after losing at the primary, referred to all electoral surveys, which according to him were conducted by credible platforms and gave him and his party advantages over other candidates.
Oni, a former Ekiti State governor, was cited to have stated: “…I didn’t want to go back to governorship, when I was, I leaving, I made it very clear that I believe the governorship should go to other zones. But over the years, we see things are not going well for the state. In the first place, when I was in APC, it was the National Assembly caucus who came to me and said that “oga our party is absent on the street. And by our party then, they meant APC, it was during Fayose regime and they said the only person who can bring it to the street is me. They said I should contest and I said no that I’m satisfied with what I am doing as deputy national chairman. They came back again and I yielded after praying on it because I wanted to resuscitate the party.
“This current attempt has taken me to two places – PDP and SDP. When I left APC, I went back to the PDP because I thought it was a natural home for me, and of course, there was also pressure on me to contest and I contested. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the votes that I accredited. I thought it was just normal until I saw a video where delegates were showing a particular individual the candidate they voted for. Also, I heard some PDP and APC chieftains celebrated my exit from the race at the Government House because they were not happy with my presence. They had thought they wanted to monopolise the power and the party.”
He maintained: “People were so happy that I decided to contest on another party. They are fully supporting us. In democracy, people are the structure and I am happy the people are there. The poll has been giving it to us. Where are on ground. By God’s grace, we will win because we are on the roads to success.
“Compared to others, Ekiti people know I did much better than others and the records are there and that’s what people still talking now. In Education, my records are there. I introduced a lot of schemes into the sector and the result was also sparkling. Before I became governor, we were ranging in the 30s in the rank, we went to number 8 that is pure without any infringement. Everyone was happy.
“I can’t remember saying the government in power is using power of incumbency. It is the people that will decide. The more you do this incumbency of a thing, the more you anger the people.”