Peace and development require continuity in leadership
In Ado-Ekiti, the convergence of three transport unions behind Governor Biodun Oyebanji's re-election bid on June 20 reflects something older than politics — the human tendency to reward those who bring order where there was conflict and movement where there was stagnation. The unions' endorsement, rooted in road improvements and hard-won inter-union peace, arrives alongside the Ekiti Assembly's third-year milestone and its alignment with national debates over federalism and state autonomy, suggesting that local loyalty and constitutional ambition are, in this moment, traveling the same road.
- Three rival transport unions, historically prone to internal conflict, have united behind Oyebanji — a rare show of sectoral solidarity that signals how deeply his peace-building efforts have landed.
- The governor's campaign is leaning hard on gratitude as a mobilizing force, asking workers to convert endorsements into votes and to extend that loyalty upward to President Tinubu's party.
- Campaign director Cyryl Fasuyi is framing the election not merely as a choice but as a referendum on continuity — warning that the peace and development achieved could be undone by a change in leadership.
- Meanwhile, the Ekiti Assembly's backing of state police, true federalism, and resource control injects a constitutional dimension into the political moment, tying local electoral stakes to Nigeria's unresolved national power struggles.
On a Monday in Ado-Ekiti, the National Union of Road Transport Workers, the Road Transport Employers of Nigeria, and the National Association of Cooperative Transporters stood together to declare their support for Governor Biodun Oyebanji ahead of the June 20 election. Their unity was itself part of the story.
Sunday Adeola of RTEAN pointed to road infrastructure as a tangible reason for the sector's loyalty. But Kehinde Afolabi of NACT reached for something harder to quantify — the governor had brokered peace among the unions themselves, calming a sector long defined by internal rivalry. That reconciliation, Afolabi argued, had steadied life well beyond the transport yards. NURTW chairman Omotayo Falope called Oyebanji "God-sent" and pledged aggressive voter mobilization, framing the unions' support not as obligation but as gratitude made visible.
Oyebanji accepted the endorsement and immediately looked upward, crediting President Tinubu's federal backing for enabling state-level progress. His ask was direct: turn words into votes, and honor the President by supporting his party. Campaign director Cyryl Fasuyi reinforced the message, casting continuity in leadership as the only way to protect what had been built.
The gathering coincided with the Ekiti Assembly's third anniversary, during which lawmakers reported passing 33 bills since 2023. The legislature has also entered the national constitutional conversation, backing proposals for state police, true federalism, and resource control — positions that place Ekiti's local political moment inside Nigeria's larger, unresolved argument about how power should be shared.
Three major transport worker unions in Ekiti State gathered in Ado-Ekiti on Monday to publicly back Governor Biodun Oyebanji's bid for re-election on June 20. The National Union of Road Transport Workers, the Road Transport Employers of Nigeria, and the National Association of Cooperative Transporters came together with a unified message: the governor's record speaks for itself.
The transport sector has particular reason to feel invested in Oyebanji's tenure. Road infrastructure improvements have made movement easier for both passengers and operators, according to Sunday Adeola, the state chairman of RTEAN. But the unions' support runs deeper than asphalt and paving. Kehinde Afolabi, who leads NACT, highlighted something less visible but arguably more consequential—the governor had managed to reconcile the transport unions themselves, bringing peace to a sector historically prone to internal conflict. That stability, Afolabi suggested, had rippled outward across the state.
Omotayo Falope, the NURTW chairman, framed the governor's achievements as his strongest campaign asset. The unions, he said, would mobilize aggressively on his behalf—not out of obligation, but as a way of expressing gratitude. Falope called Oyebanji "God-sent" and described his administration's accomplishments as without precedent in the state.
When Oyebanji addressed the gathering, he accepted the endorsement but immediately redirected it. He credited President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's federal government for backing that had made state-level development possible. The governor then made an explicit ask: transport workers should translate their words into action by mobilizing voters, and should thank the President by voting for his party. Cyryl Fasuyi, the director-general of the governor's campaign council, echoed the call for aggressive voter mobilization, framing continuity in leadership as essential to preserving the peace and development the state had achieved.
The endorsement came as the Ekiti State House of Assembly marked its third year in office. The legislature announced it had passed 33 bills into law since its June 2023 inauguration, all signed by the governor. Beyond routine legislative business, the Assembly has also weighed in on the constitutional amendment process underway at the national level, backing proposals for state police, true federalism, resource control, and legislative autonomy. The Assembly also called for recognition of Local Council Development Areas and stronger democratic institutions, alongside a push for expanded voter registration and electoral participation. These positions signal how state-level politics in Nigeria increasingly intersect with broader debates about power distribution and federalism.
Citas Notables
The governor's achievements in office, coupled with his positive disposition to transport workers, had already done the campaigning for him— NURTW and other transport union leaders
The level of harmony among the unions is unprecedented and has contributed immensely to the peaceful atmosphere and development being experienced in the state— Governor Biodun Oyebanji
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why would transport unions care so much about a governor's re-election? They're not typically political actors.
They are when the governor has directly improved their working conditions. Better roads mean faster routes, fewer breakdowns, lower costs. But more than that—Oyebanji reconciled unions that had been at each other's throats. That's peace and money in their pockets.
The governor credits Tinubu's federal government for the development. Does that weaken his own claim to credit?
Not in his framing. He's positioning himself as the capable intermediary—someone who can access federal resources and deploy them locally. He's also making a transactional argument: the unions should repay federal support by voting for the President's party.
That's interesting. He's not just asking for votes for himself.
Exactly. He's asking the transport workers to vote as a bloc for his party at the federal level. It's a way of consolidating political capital upward while securing his own re-election.
What about the Assembly's constitutional amendment positions? How do those fit?
They're separate but revealing. The Assembly is pushing for state police and resource control—more power at the state level. That's not necessarily aligned with Tinubu's federal consolidation. It suggests Ekiti's political class wants autonomy even while accepting federal backing.
So there's tension beneath the unity?
There's always tension. But for now, the transport unions, the governor, and the Assembly are aligned on one thing: keep things stable, keep things moving, and keep the current leadership in place.