How Ekiti Gov Clinched APC Return Ticket

Ekiti State Governor, Abiodun Oyebanji, has secured the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket to seek a second term in office, following intense political manoeuvring, negotiations, and internal horse-trading within the ruling party.

Oyebanji emerged as the APC candidate through a consensus arrangement at the party’s primary held yesterday in Ado-Ekiti, after the disqualification of two aspirants, including his main challenger, Engineer Kayode Ojo.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed July 20, 2026, for the governorship election.

Observers said Oyebanji’s “smooth” emergence was also facilitated by the withdrawal of another aspirant, Mrs Atinuke Oluremi Omolayo, who stepped down in his favour.

With the ticket secured, all eyes are now on Oyebanji to see whether he can break the jinx in Ekiti politics, where no first-term governor has ever succeeded in winning re-election.

Controversy over disqualifications

Daily Trust reports that four aspirants initially sought the APC ticket: Oyebanji, Mrs Atinuke Oluremi Omolayo, Engr Kayode Ojo, and Mrs Abimbola Olajumoke Olawunmi.

However, the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) cleared Oyebanji and Omolayo while disqualifying Ojo and Olawunmi for allegedly failing to comply with the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act 2022 (as amended).

APC Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Duro Meseko, announced the decision after the NWC meeting of October 9. The move, however, triggered controversy within the Ekiti chapter, with Ojo’s supporters describing it as “undemocratic” and “orchestrated”.

In a letter jointly signed by APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, and National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, the party officially notified INEC of its decision to adopt Oyebanji as a consensus candidate.

The letter, dated October 13 and received the same day, was titled “Re: 2025 Ekiti State Governorship Election: Notification of Change of Mode for Primary Election and Details of Nomination of Consensus Candidate.”

It confirmed the party’s switch from the direct primary mode to a consensus arrangement, referencing earlier communications with INEC on July 30, August 6, and October 9, 2025, to ensure compliance with the Electoral Act and APC Constitution.

However, a group, the Concerned Stakeholders of the APC in Ekiti State, subsequently petitioned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, urging him to intervene and review the primary process and Ojo’s disqualification.

Petition to Tinubu

In the petition titled “An Open Appeal for Your Intervention to Protect the Unity, Integrity and Popularity of APC in Ekiti State”, dated October 22, the stakeholders alleged that the screening exercise was manipulated to edge out Ojo.

They warned that the development threatened the peace, unity, and electoral fortunes of the party ahead of the 2026 governorship poll.

The group urged President Tinubu to direct the NWC to revalidate deleted party memberships across Ekiti, ensure fairness in the conduct of future primaries, and order an independent review of Ojo’s disqualification.

They also called for party officials who allegedly displayed bias to recuse themselves from further involvement in the primary process.

Signatories to the petition included the pioneer Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Hon. Adekola Adefemi; the Federal Commissioner at the Federal Character Commission, Chief Sesan Fatoba; the former Minority Leader, Hon. Lanre Fayemi; and the Federal Commissioner at the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation, and Fiscal Commission, Prof. Afolabi Popoola.

Others were Mrs Monica Adesola Fajuyi-Olajuyigbe, Mrs Motunde Fajuyi, Hon. Opeyemi Ajayi, Hon. Ropo Ige, Hon. Olukayode Oluyemo, and Mrs Olufunke Babalola.

No petition on delegate congress – Appeal Panel

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Appeal Panel for the Ekiti APC Delegate Congress, Dr Dennis Otiotio, said the panel received no petitions over the conduct of the congress.

Speaking at the APC Secretariat in Ado-Ekiti, Otiotio commended the committee that supervised the exercise.

“As part of the electoral process, the party constituted a five-man appeal panel to receive complaints from aggrieved members regarding the delegate congress. By 10am, we were ready to review any petitions, but fortunately, none were received. This demonstrates the transparent manner in which the delegate congresses were conducted,” he said.

Ekiti APC Chairman, Olusola Eleshin, also hailed the process, describing it as peaceful and credible.

Affirmation of Oyebanji’s candidacy

At the primary held at the Ekiti Parapo Pavilion on New Iyin Road, Ado-Ekiti, on Monday, Oyebanji was affirmed as the APC candidate by 885 delegates drawn from the 177 wards across the state’s 16 local government areas.

Senate Leader Michael Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central) moved the motion for his affirmation, seconded by the Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adeoye Aribasoye.

Chairman of the affirmation congress committee and Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, said the consensus arrangement was an in-house decision reached collectively and without coercion.

“I can inform this gathering that the decision by our great party to adopt Oyebanji is not a product of imposition, but a way to allow the good works of the APC government in Ekiti to continue,” he said.

In his acceptance speech, Governor Oyebanji expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu, the APC leadership, and party members for their support.

“I hereby accept this honour to fly the flag of our great party in next year’s gubernatorial election. I will never take this honour for granted,” he said.

“To my opponents in the race, be assured that there is no victor and no vanquished. We are in this together, and the party belongs to all of us. Let’s come together to lift Ekiti. I am ready to embrace everyone without segregation,” he added.

He appealed to party supporters to desist from personal attacks and social media abuse, urging unity as the party prepares for the main election.

Meanwhile, political analysts have observed that the consensus adoption of Oyebanji may reflect President Tinubu’s broader strategy of stabilising APC strongholds ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Under Tinubu’s leadership, the APC has increasingly leaned on consensus arrangements in key states to prevent internal rifts that could weaken the party’s electoral chances. Ekiti, one of the ruling party’s firm bases in the South West, is seen as critical to Tinubu’s re-election map.

Analysts note that the decision to back Oyebanji was not only to preserve party unity but also to reward loyalty, continuity, and alignment with the president’s Renewed Hope Agenda at the subnational level.

However, insiders caution that if the grievances of Ojo’s supporters are not addressed, the APC could face quiet resistance during the general election, particularly from aggrieved factions that feel excluded from the process. (Daily trust)