Ekiti state governor Biodun Oyebanji has emerged as the All Progressive Congress, (APC) candidate for next year 2026 governorship election.
The governor emerged through a popular voice votes by 885 delegates elected across the 177 Wards in the 16 Local Government areas of the state.
The affirmation came up on Monday at the Ekiti parapo Pavilion, new Iyin road, Ado-Ekiti.
The Senate Leader, Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, moved the motion for Oyebanji’s adoption, as consensus candidate, while Speaker of Ekiti state House of Assembly , Adeoye Aribasoye, seconded the motion.
Earlier in his address, the Chairman of the Affirmation Congress Committee and Kogi state governor Ahmed Usman Ododo said the decision by the party to arrive at a concensus arrangement was basically an in-house party’s choice of way, and a collective efforts, thay was devoid of any form of colouration.
” 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”, he said.
The consensus candidate,Oyebanji in his acceptance speech appreciated President Bola Tinubu and other party leaders especially the Senate Leader Ekiti national / state assembly caucus, including former governors Niyi Adebayo and wife, as well as Kayode Fayemi, and all members of the party.
“I hereby accept this honour to fly the flag of our great party in the next year’s gubernatorial election, coming up in the state, and I will never take this honour for granted.
” This is to historic, in the sense that this is the first time any ruling party would be doing this for any of it’s governor in power.
” Be 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, cyber bullying, abuses on social media should stop”, the governor said.