On Monday, the Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, emerged because the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) within the 2026 governorship election within the state.
Mr Oyebanji emerged by way of well-liked voice votes of 885 delegates, elected on Saturday throughout the 177 Electoral Wards within the 16 native authorities areas of the state.
His adoption happened on the Ekiti State Pavilion on New Iyin Highway, Ado-Ekiti, by way of consensus.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that the APC appointed a committee headed by Governor Ahmed Ododo of Kogi State to oversee the occasion.
The Senate Chief, Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, moved the movement for Mr Oyebanji’s nomination and adoption, as consensus candidate, whereas the Speaker of Ekiti Meeting, Adeoye Aribasoye, seconded the movement.
In his acceptance speech, the governor thanked President Bola Tinubu for his fatherly function in making the consensus attainable.
He additionally prolonged his hand of fellowship to his main challenger earlier than the first election, Kayode Ojo, to affix him to make sure victory for the get together.
He mentioned, “Historical past is being made as we speak. We promise that we are going to proceed to ship on our contract to the Ekiti folks. I promise to make you proud. The endorsement is an affirmation of the desires of our members.
” I deeply admire your determination and hereby settle for this honour to fly the flag of our nice get together within the governorship election that comes subsequent 12 months.
“As I discussed earlier, there is no such thing as a victor or vanquish on this race. All of us are winners as a result of we are able to disagree to agree for the widespread good of our get together. We’re all united by the will to serve our folks.
“To Engineer Kayode Ojo, I lengthen my hand of fellowship and cooperation going ahead. I want to work with you to make sure whole victory for our get together within the subsequent governorship and Presidential election.
“My distinguished members, now could be the time to work collectively. No time for unfavourable preaching, abusive feedback, character assassination, and divisive behaviours. It’s in unity that we are able to thrive. I hereby name for a united get together as we march ahead to the 2026 governorship election, which is a precursor to the Mr President Election in 2027.”
Mr Oyebanji continued: “It is a historic second in our political improvement. It exhibits political maturity and a development in the direction of stability that has since begun in 2022.
“We subsequently have each cause to be happy with ourselves. The inglorious expertise of the get together up to now is that the progressives block in Ekiti has all the time turned moments like this into infinite damaging polarisation, the battle to complete, inside wrangling that follows down the road, has all the time partly led to the defeat of the get together within the second time period election.”
READ ALSO: Ekiti 2026: Gov Ododo guarantees easy major election as 885 delegates affirm Oyebanji as APC’s sole candidate
Talking earlier in a gap tackle, Mr Ododo, who can also be the chairman of the Affirmation Congress Committee, mentioned the choice by the get together to reach at a consensus association was mainly an in-house get together’s alternative of approach, and collective efforts that had been devoid of any type of colouration.
“I can inform this gathering that the choice by our nice get together to undertake Oyebanji isn’t a product of imposition, however a approach to enable the nice works that the APC authorities in Ekiti has been doing, and thus far recorded, to proceed”, he mentioned.
4 aspirants obtained the get together’s nomination and expression of curiosity varieties, however solely Governor Oyebanji confronted the delegates within the affirmation course of.
Different aspirants moreover Mr Ojo had been Abimbola Olawumi and Oluremi Omolayo. Whereas Mrs Olawumi was disqualified from the race, Mrs Omolayo withdrew to assist the governor.
