I will not take my senatorial ticket for granted, says Bamidele

Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, has said that he will never take the decision of the leadership of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State to return him to the Senate through an unopposed party ticket for granted.

Bamidele, in a statement by his media office after he was screened by the APC senatorial screening panel in Abuja yesterday, pledged to do everything humanly possible to ensure that the party emerged victorious at the forthcoming June 18 governorship election in the state.

The senator, who doubles as Chairman of the Southern Senators Forum of the Ninth Assembly, commended the screening committee for proper organisation and conduct of the screening process.

He said: “I do not take it for granted that I am being returned unopposed as the flagbearer of the APC.

“It means so much to me. I am grateful to the leadership of APC in Ekiti State and the leadership at the national level. I am also grateful to the people of Ekiti Central Senatorial District for this honour. I don’t take it for granted at all.”

“That no one is running against me in this race for the ticket of the party is an endorsement of my humble efforts in ensuring effective representation in the Senate in the last three years. It is also an acknowledgement by the leadership of the party and members of the party that I could be entrusted with the position of an elected representative of the people and one of the leaders of our people in this tough time.

“It is not that we don’t have equally qualified people or eligible people who can obtain the form. But the fact that this has not happened and the leadership of the party has done so much to ensure that I am given a smooth ride to be the candidate of the party is, to me, a sincere and profound effort and to whom much is given, much is also expected.

“It is a call to further and greater duty. I will do everything possible to ensure the unity of the party through meaningful reconciliation where it is still necessary to do so and to ensure to drive a process in which there will be integrity and mutual trust.”