On Monday, the Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, emerged as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2026 governorship election in the state.
Mr Oyebanji emerged through popular voice votes of 885 delegates, elected on Saturday across the 177 Electoral Wards in the 16 local government areas of the state.
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His adoption took place at the Ekiti State Pavilion on New Iyin Road, Ado-Ekiti, via consensus.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that the APC appointed a committee headed by Governor Ahmed Ododo of Kogi State to supervise the event.
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The Senate Leader, Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, moved the motion for Mr Oyebanji’s nomination and adoption, as consensus candidate, while the Speaker of Ekiti Assembly, Adeoye Aribasoye, seconded the motion.
In his acceptance speech, the governor thanked President Bola Tinubu for his fatherly role in making the consensus possible.
He also extended his hand of fellowship to his major challenger before the primary election, Kayode Ojo, to join him to ensure victory for the party.
He said, “History is being made today. We promise that we will continue to deliver on our contract to the Ekiti people. I promise to make you proud. The endorsement is an affirmation of the wishes of our members.
” I deeply appreciate your decision and hereby accept this honour to fly the flag of our great party in the governorship election that comes next year.
“As I mentioned earlier, there is no victor or vanquish in this race. All of us are winners because we can disagree to agree for the common good of our party. We are all united by the desire to serve our people.
“To Engineer Kayode Ojo, I extend my hand of fellowship and cooperation going forward. I wish to work with you to ensure total victory for our party in the next governorship and Presidential election.
“My distinguished members, now is the time to work together. No time for negative preaching, abusive comments, character assassination, and divisive behaviours. It is in unity that we can thrive. I hereby call for a united party as we march forward to the 2026 governorship election, which is a precursor to the Mr President Election in 2027.”
Mr Oyebanji continued: “This is a historic moment in our political development. It shows political maturity and a trend towards stability that has since begun in 2022.
“We therefore have every reason to be proud of ourselves. The inglorious experience of the party in the past is that the progressives block in Ekiti has always turned moments like this into endless damaging polarisation, the fight to finish, internal wrangling that follows down the line, has always partly led to the defeat of the party in the second term election.”
READ ALSO: Ekiti 2026: Gov Ododo promises smooth primary election as 885 delegates affirm Oyebanji as APC’s sole candidate
Speaking earlier in an opening address, Mr Ododo, who is also the chairman of the Affirmation Congress Committee, said the decision by the party to arrive at a consensus arrangement was basically an in-house party’s choice of way, and collective efforts that were devoid of any form of colouration.
“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 that the APC government in Ekiti has been doing, and so far recorded, to continue”, he said.
Four aspirants obtained the party’s nomination and expression of interest forms, but only Governor Oyebanji faced the delegates in the affirmation process.
Other aspirants besides Mr Ojo were Abimbola Olawumi and Oluremi Omolayo. While Mrs Olawumi was disqualified from the race, Mrs Omolayo withdrew to support the governor.
