Ekiti workers pledge over 500,000 votes for Oyebanji’s re-election

Workers in Ekiti State have assured Governor Biodun Oyebanji of their readiness to mobilise more than 500,000 votes for him in the June 20 governorship election, in demonstration of their appreciation for his administration’s improved welfare and worker-friendly policies.

The workers, comprising civil servants across various ministries, departments and agencies and workers in all affiliate unions of the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress, staged a “thank you walk” to the Governor’s Office in Ado Ekiti on Thursday as part of activities marking this year’s May Day celebration.

NLC State Chairman, Kolapo Olatunde, who spoke at the Governor’s Office where the walk terminated, said, “Workers now feel directly involved in the democratic process because of the administration’s responsiveness, transparency, and people-oriented policies geared towards workers’ welfare. We have chosen to repay the governor with our votes.”

He described Oyebanji as “a worker-friendly leader who has consistently demonstrated genuine commitment to the welfare of workers.”

Olatunde said that the Oyebanji administration’s prompt payment of salaries, deductions, pensions, and gratuity, alongside other labour-friendly reforms, had restored confidence in the public service.

He said that courtesy of the governor, Ekiti workers got a good deal during the minimum wage negotiations in addition to other interventions on behalf of the workforce.

“For these reasons, workers in the state have resolved to mobilise themselves and their family members to ensure that the governor secured over 500,000 votes in the June 20 governorship election,” Olatunde said.

He said the decision was a collective one aimed at expressing their gratitude for the administration’s consistent responsiveness to workers’ needs and its commitment to improving their welfare.

Olatunde stressed that Ekiti workers would mobilise their families and friends to vote massively for Oyebanji, adding that the governor had restored confidence in governance through his consistent engagement with workers and visible commitment to their welfare, as well as in the areas of infrastructure and human capital development.

Oyebanji appreciated the workers for the overwhelming show of support, describing their gesture as a strong motivation to do more for the people of the state.

The governor urged the workers to direct their gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for creating an enabling environment for states to meet their obligations to workers and the citizens.

He reiterated his administration’s commitment to sustaining policies that improved workers’ welfare, saying whatever he had done for the workers was within their rights, as well as part of his duties as the governor.

Oyebanji thanked the workers for their demonstrated support for his administration and for their commitment towards his re-election for a second term.

The governor noted that elections are won by tangible achievements that directly impact the lives of the people, stressing that he remained focused on delivering results that will speak for themselves when the time comes.

The Head of Service, Dr Folakemi Olomojobi, expressed appreciation on behalf of workers to the governor for his worker-friendly programmes and policies, which had improved the living conditions of workers across the board.

Olomojobi said the workers decided to turn out in large numbers to say thank you to the governor “for his three and a half years of remarkable progress, prosperity and compassionate leadership which has resulted in pay parity, minimum wage, regular payment of salary, payment of leave bonuses as well as promotion arrears.”