The Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, has revealed that the All Progressives Congress (APC) is strategising to secure at least 10 million votes from the South-West geopolitical zone to support the re-election of President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections.
Bamidele disclosed the plan in a statement issued on Monday by the Directorate of Media and Public Affairs in the Office of the Senate Leader.
According to him, the target will be pursued through intensive voter mobilisation efforts and active participation in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise across the region.
The Senate leader spoke in Ado Ekiti during the inauguration of a 57-member governorship campaign council established for the re-election bid of Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji.
Bamidele, who also serves as chairman of the Ekiti APC 2026 Governorship Election Campaign Council, said the forthcoming June 20 governorship election in the state would effectively serve as a referendum on the performance of the Oyebanji administration.
He expressed confidence that the election would be an easy victory for the APC, citing what he described as significant achievements recorded under the current administration.
“The June 20 election will be a referendum to affirm and confirm the leadership of Governor Biodun Oyebanji in Ekiti State,” Bamidele said.
“As a party driven by conviction and vision, we have already set a strategic target ahead of the 2027 general elections. We have developed a mobilisation plan aimed at delivering at least 10 million votes for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu across the six states of the South-West.”
Bamidele urged party leaders and supporters to intensify grassroots mobilisation by encouraging residents to participate in the voter registration exercise and obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).
“With future elections approaching steadily, we must mobilise our members, neighbours and relations not only to register as new voters but also to collect their PVCs so they can exercise their democratic rights in support of the party,” he said.
Highlighting the current voter statistics in Ekiti State, Bamidele noted that despite the state’s estimated population of about 3.8 million people, only 987,647 residents were registered voters as of 2023.
He stressed the need to significantly expand voter participation, urging party members to work towards increasing voter registration by at least 50 per cent before the CVR exercise concludes in August 2026.
“To achieve this goal, we must embark on intensive grassroots engagement, moving house-to-house, street-to-street and community-to-community, to encourage our people to enrol for the Continuous Voter Registration,” he added.
Bamidele also pledged to lead the APC governorship campaign with dedication and unity to ensure the party records a decisive victory in the upcoming Ekiti election.
“We must work together as one indivisible party and approach the election with harmony, unity and a shared purpose. That is the pathway to victory,” he said.
Responding, Governor Biodun Oyebanji expressed appreciation to the Senate leader for his continued support and commitment to the progress of Ekiti State.
Oyebanji stated that his re-election campaign would focus on presenting policies, programmes and development plans rather than engaging in personal attacks against political opponents.
The governor also called on candidates from other political parties to strictly adhere to the provisions of the Electoral Act and the Constitution in order to guarantee a peaceful, credible and transparent electoral process.
