Strong indications emerged on Friday that the governorship candidate of the Labour Party in the last election in Ekiti State, Opeyemi Bamidele, has agreed to work with the leadership of the All Progressives Congress to ensure victory for the party’s presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, in next month election.
Saturday PUNCH gathered that the deal was sealed at a meeting between Bamidele and the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in Lagos on Friday.
It was learnt that Bamidele agreed to use the Ekiti ‘Bibire’ group to mobilise support for Buhari ahead of the party’s rally in Ekiti State today.
Bamidele formed the Ekiti ‘Bibire Coalition’ in 2013 to realise his governorship ambition within the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, which pitted him against the then governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, an action that led to his eventual exit from the party.
Those at the meeting held at the Bourdillon home of the APC leader were leaders from the three senatorial districts in Ekiti State, including a former commissioner for works, Mr. Diran Adesua; wife of former governor of old Ondo State, Mrs. Yimika Olumilua; Bishop Gabriel Oloniyo; Mr. Ropo Ige and Mr. Remi Oguntuase.
The Deputy National Chairman of the APC and ex-governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Segun Oni, had met with Bamidele and his supporters in Iyin-Ekiti last Saturday.
It was reliably gathered that Bamidele’s group had a fruitful deliberation with Tinubu on how to deliver Ekiti for the APC in the presidential election.
A source in the meeting revealed that Tinubu appealed to Bamidele to continue to strive harder to ensure that APC regains its strength in Ekiti, describing him as a reliable compatriot that had the capacity to turn the fortunes of the party around.
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