…Says endorsements not induced
Overwhelmed by the gale of endorsements by different strata of Ekiti populace, the DG Office of Community Communications Ekiti State, Mrs Mary Oso- Omotoso has opened up on the trending development describing it as ‘baffling’
She made the disclosure in an interactive session with newsmen in her office.
She however debunked the claim by some opposition elements that the endorsments of the Governor across-the-board have been induced or funded by the government.
According to the grassroots mobilizer, Governor Oyebanji’s widespread acceptability was largely as a result of the unique bond that the Governor shares with Ekiti people, his grassroots development drive and his assessiblity. Her words;
“We can attribute all these to massive support that Ekiti people have been showing him apart from the fact that he is delivering good governance and dividends of democracy to their doorsteps”
Speaking further on what she described as the organic nature of the endorsments, the DG said;
“People are amazed at the level Ekiti people are coming out in their numbers to openly and publicly declare their love for Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji.
“These include, groups, Associations, professional bodies that would hitherto not openly come out to identify with any government or any Governor in office for a second term to show their love, support and solidarity to the Governor based on the love that has been built over time before the Governor came to power. So, they have this sense of belonging. They feel they are very well included in this government meaning that they have taken ownership of this government and that is what a lot of people don’t understand about this endorsments, especially those who thought that these endorsments are bought and paid for”
On how the bond of love was cemented, Mary Oso revealed that the constant engagements with the people at the grassroots had significantly fostered the mutual relationship.
According to her, “I’m the one interacting with a lot of them so when we carry out interactive sessions with them at the community level, we get their reactions and feedback, those that need our attention, the Governor pays attention to them and the people know that the Governor listens to them and they are there to make comparison between previous governments in Ekiti. So it’s not a matter of sudden love”
Responding to the question why a lot of the endorsments appeared to be wovering around her office, the DG said; “Most of the groups and Associations indeed do invite me while some would come and asked me to give them a convenient date for their rallies because they wanted my presence at the event as a way of showing evidence of the love they have for Governor BAO. Let me shock you that there are lots of groups that I had to manage because they are too many. Even as we speak today we have a group endorsing Governor BAO. We’ve had the civil servants, virtually teachers from all the 16 local governments in the state, local governments workers and what have you, they did not even hide because these are the categories of people who ordinarily would not have openly endorsed a governent in power but they are coming out to show that if elections are to be conducted today, they are for BAO and if this is what they called endorsment, so be it.
“So it is baffling when you see or hear people thinking that it’s an induced endorsment but no, it is love induced endorsment based on the bond that Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji shared with the people of Ekiti that informed the gale of endorsements that you are seeing here and there” she says
