APC says Ekiti governorship race is open as ex-commissioner knocks endorsements of Oyebanji

The All Progressives Congress in Ekiti State has said the endorsements of Governor Biodun Oyebanji for a second term, including Monday’s rally backing President Bola Tinubu and the governor, have not shut the door on other party members seeking the governorship ticket ahead of the state’s 2026 governorship election.

In a statement on Wednesday, the state Publicity Secretary, Segun Dipe, said, “Such adoption should not foreclose the ambition of other aspirants within the party who may wish to throw themselves into the ring. We are in a democracy, and we are a party that plays according to the rules.”

Dipe encouraged aspirants to come forward and test their popularity through the proper channels.

“Politics is a game of numbers, and our symbol is the broom, signifying unity. However, what we will frown at is for anyone to attempt to decimate our party with his or her ambition.

You don’t have to crack the wall to enter, nor should you enter through the window. Come through the door and come clean with your ambition,” he said.

He dismissed speculations of discontent within the party, insisting that the APC remained united behind Oyebanji.

“Our party is intact and formidable. Our leaders are united in their resolve to see the incumbent, Governor Biodun Oyebanji, emerge for a second term come 2026.

“The recent state-wide adoption of both President Bola Tinubu and Oyebanji for a second term was politically correct and a welcome development.

“Our party might not have sponsored it, but we are not against it. Rather, we are happy to see it happen,” Dipe stated.

However, a former Commissioner for Water Resources in the state, Chief Segun Akinwumi, dismissed the flurry of endorsements for Oyebanji, saying they do not guarantee his re-election.

Akinwumi, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, who served under former Governor Ayodele Fayose, told the News Agency of Nigeria in a telephone interview that the endorsements did not reflect the will of the people.

“The masses are disappointed and not happy with the current administration in the state.

The so-called endorsements have been coming from former governors and their allies. These are a set of people who have been benefiting from the sharing of largesse from the centre, with no real benefits to the people under the current administration,” he said.

He likened the endorsements to “the noise of town criers” and said they would not translate into electoral victory.

“Little construction work on the circular road project around Ekiti city should not be mistaken for a major achievement, considering the deplorable state of roads and infrastructure in many parts of the state,” Akinwumi added.

He further alleged wasteful spending on endorsement rallies, claiming “billions of naira were spent on hiring crowds from neighbouring states, including Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Kogi, and Kwara, as well as on chartered private jets, live television coverage, branded shirts, aso ebi, and entertainment.”

“These bogus expenditures show the governor has no interest in the welfare of the masses but is rather focused on sharing state resources among the elite, especially former governors,” he said.

He also criticised the lack of significant projects in the state worthy of presidential commissioning.

PUNCH