Ekiti 2026: Ex-senator urges aspirants to step down for Oyebanji

A former senator from Ekiti State, Bode Ola, has appealed to governorship aspirants in the state, particularly Kayode Ojo, to shelve their ambitions to allow the incumbent governor, Biodun Oyebanji, to spend a second term in office.

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Mr Ola, who represented Ekiti Central Senatorial District between 2009 and 2011, said Mr Oyebanji’s administration has recorded significant achievements across all sectors and should be allowed to continue in the spirit of fairness and unity.

The former senator stated this in a statement issued on Saturday to declare his support for the governor’s re-election bid.

“Engr. Kayode Ojo is a brilliant young man with many ideas. I hold him in very high regard. He is calm, calculated, and very industrious. When you listen to him, it is clear that he has good plans for Ekiti. However, I believe his time has not yet come. There is a time for everything, and this is why Jesus told His mother in John 2:4 that His hour had not yet come.

“Presently, the mood of the state is that BAO has performed excellently, and everyone is looking forward to him completing his second term. To think otherwise is unrealistic. I have even told some of Kayode Ojo’s followers that they should stop deceiving themselves.

“As a fair and reasonable leader, I have decided to support BAO because of his good works, and I join others who want him to continue and complete these great achievements,” the former senator said.

Mr Oyebanji was elected governor on the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2022 and will complete his first term in October 2026.

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So far, two aspirants have picked the party’s nomination forms to challenge the governor for the party’s ticket in 2026.

Abimbola Olawunmi, a female aspirant, purchased her nomination form at the APC National Secretariat in August. Mr Ojo, a businessman and former Pro-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, also obtained his form in August.

Mr Ojo said he was in the race to rescue Ekiti from what he described as the poor governance of Mr Oyebanji.

For her part, Mrs Olawunmi accused the governor of mismanaging the state’s resources despite receiving over N500 billion in federal allocation since 2023.

The APC primary election has been scheduled for 1 October, with the appeal window closing the following day.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed 20 June 2026 for the governorship election in line with the constitutional timeline.