The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State, has ruled out the zoning of its governorship ticket to the southern part of the state until after 2030.

Daily Trust reports that there have been agitations by people of the southern part of the state for the zone to be allowed to produce the next governor with leading parties in the state urged to consider zoning their tickets to the area to address its perceived marginalisation.

While the zone has not produced any democratically elected governor for the state since its creation, the current deputy governor, Chief (Mrs.) Monisade Afuye hails from the zone.

The chairman of the APC’s State Working Committee, Paul Omotoso, who revealed the party’s decision during the visit of the deputy governor to the state secretariat, said the party made the decision after acknowledging that the deputy governor is a loyal lieutenant to Governor Biodun Oyebanji and that the governor has deservedly earned the right to a second term based on his high performance index.

The APC chairman said: “We know that our people from the South Senatorial District are also entitled to the seat, but they should wait for their time. There is time for everything under the sun.

“As of now, we have a governor in Biodun Oyebanji and deputy in Monisade Afuye who are so capable and competent, so there is nothing the South wants that the deputy governor cannot offer them.

“Let the members of the party go and spread this gospel across the local governments that there is no vacancy in the government House for the next seven years. After the eight years of the governor and the deputy governor, then the South can have it. Our people must be patient”.

Addressing the SWC members, the deputy governor, saluted the party for being supportive to the governor, particularly for picking Governor Oyebanji at the primary election.

Afuye, who donated cash gift to the party SWC members, promised to continually fraternise with the party’s top echelon through generous donations and playing off advisory roles to strengthen APC for future political endeavours.

“In Nigeria’s political trends, we have experienced in some states when the party will go to the south, while the government will go to the west” (Daily Trust)

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