Governor Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State on Monday officially became the All Progressives Congress candidate for the 2026 governorship election in the state.
Oyebanji secured the nomination through popular voice votes cast by 885 delegates elected on Saturday from the 177 electoral wards across the 16 local government areas of Ekiti, according to The News Agency of Nigeria.
The governor’s adoption took place at the Ekiti State Pavilion on New Iyin Road, Ado-Ekiti, through a consensus arrangement.
The nomination process was initiated by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, who moved the motion for Oyebanji’s adoption as a consensus candidate, while State House of Assembly Speaker Adeoye Aribasoye seconded the motion.
In his opening remarks, Governor Usman Ododo of Kogi, Chairman of the Affirmation Congress Committee, stressed that the consensus was a collective decision and free from any form of manipulation.
“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,” Ododo said.
Earlier, the APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, inaugurated an 11-member Consensus Committee for the state’s governorship primary. Yilwatda stated that the committee, chaired by Ododo with the assistance of Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo, would conduct the affirmation of Oyebanji as the sole candidate for the 2026 election.
“The affirmation will be done by the 885 delegates drawn from across the 16 council areas of the state,” Yilwatda said at the party secretariat in Ado-Ekiti.
The APC National Chairman, represented by Deputy National Organising Secretary Chidi Duru, praised the outcome of the delegates’ poll and commended Oyebanji’s leadership, which has reportedly endeared him to the people of Ekiti.
In his acceptance speech, Oyebanji thanked President Bola Tinubu, party leaders, and key figures including the Senate Leader, the Ekiti National Assembly caucus, former governors Niyi Adebayo and Kayode Fayemi, and members of the state assembly.
“I hereby accept this honour to fly the flag of our great party in the next year’s governorship election coming up in the state, and I will never take this honour for granted.
“This is too historic, in the sense that this is the first time any ruling party would be doing this for any of its governors in power. Rest assured that this gesture will not go unappreciated.
“To my opponents in the race, be assured that there is no victor nor vanquished. We are in the race together, and the party belongs to all of us.
“Please, let’s come together to lift Ekiti, as I am ever ready to embrace everyone without segregation.
“I plead that all forms of character assassination, cyberbullying, abuses on social media should stop,” Oyebanji said.
