The spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Akin Rotimi, has emerged winner of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election for the Ekiti North I (Ikole/Oye) Federal Constituency of EkitiState.
Mr Rotimi secured a decisive victory in 22 out of the 24 wards in the constituency.
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The APC on Saturday commenced its primaries for the 2027 general elections with contests for the House of Representatives seats across the country, days after the party concluded its screening exercise for aspirants seeking its tickets.
The Ekiti North I primary, one of the closely watched contests in Ekiti State, was keenly contested by nine aspirants but eventually produced a clear victory for the incumbent lawmaker, further consolidating his hold on the constituency.
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Mr Rotimi defeated a former member of the 7th Assembly, Bimbo Daramola, Erelu Elebute-Halle, Gbenga Joseph, Ayorinde Ejioye, and Ayo Omotosho.
In the days leading to the primary election, the contest had gradually tilted in favour of Mr Rotimi after three aspirants formally withdrew from the race and endorsed his re-election bid. Those who stepped down are Funke Owoseni, Kayode Omoboya, and Yemi Ayeni.
The endorsement was seen by party members as an early indication of a broad consensus within the APC structure in the constituency ahead of the exercise.
Two days before the primary, a large constituency-wide endorsement gathering was also organised in support of the incumbent lawmaker. The event brought together chairpersons of the eight local government areas and Local Council Development Areas within the constituency, councillors, ward executives, women leaders, youth leaders, and other major political stakeholders across Ekiti State.
At the meeting, stakeholders unanimously backed Mr Rotimi’s return bid, describing his representation as accessible, responsive, development-driven and citing constituency projects, youth engagement, and his visibility at the National Assembly as reasons for their support.
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For Mr Daramola, the defeat marks another unsuccessful attempt at returning to the National Assembly after leaving office in 2015. The former lawmaker had also lost to Mr Rotimi during the 2023 general elections, a contest widely viewed as a turning point in the constituency’s political alignment.
Saturday’s victory will position Mr Rotimi as the APC candidate for the 2027 House of Representatives election, pending ratification by the party and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The APC primaries are expected to continue in the coming days with Senate and governorship contests scheduled 18 and 21 May, respectively.
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