Governor Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State has emerged as the All Progressive Congress (APC) candidate for the 2026 gubernatorial election. He was chosen through a consensus arrangement, with 885 delegates from the state’s 16 local government areas affirming his candidacy at the Ekiti State Pavilion in Ado‑Ekiti. Senate Leader Michael Opeyemi Bamidele moved the motion for Oyebanji’s nomination, and incumbent Speaker of the Ekiti State Assembly Adeoye Aribasoye seconded it.
This selection makes Oyebanji the first APC governor in the state to win the party’s candidature consecutively since the current democratic dispensation began. The National Chairman of the APC, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, had earlier inaugurated an 11‑member Consensus Committee for the primary election in Ekiti. Chaired by Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo of Kogi State, who also chairs the Affirmation Congress Committee, the committee was tasked with affirming Oyebanji as the sole candidate for the 2026 poll.
Governor Ododo emphasized that the consensus was an internal party decision aimed at allowing the APC government in Ekiti to continue its good work. He stressed that the outcome was not imposed but resulted from a collective effort to build on the party’s achievements in the state.
In his acceptance speech, Oyebanji thanked President Bola Tinubu, party leaders, and the delegates for the honor. He pledged to work tirelessly to justify the confidence placed in him, called on his opponents to join hands in lifting the state, and appealed for an end to character assassination, cyberbullying, and abuses on social media.
The development marks a significant milestone in Ekiti’s political landscape as Oyebanji prepares to seek re‑election under the APC platform, setting the stage for the 2026 gubernatorial election.
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