The race for the 2026 Ekiti governorship election gathered momentum on Monday as Kayode Ojo formally joined the contest, picking the All Progressives Congress (APC) nomination form at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
Ojo, a businessman and former Pro-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, said his entry into the race was a call to “rescue Ekiti” from what he described as poor governance under Governor Biodun Oyebanji.
According to Kolawole Adefemi, pioneer Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, who spoke on behlf of the campaign team, “Over one hundred positions, including key commissionerships, have been handed to members of opposition parties while APC loyalists are sidelined.
“This has bred deep resentment across the state.”
The Ojo campaign further criticised Oyebanji’s performance, accusing him of wasting billions of naira on “endorsement jamborees” instead of fixing critical infrastructure. They pointed to the state of federal roads, alleging that Oyebanji preferred excuses to solutions.
“Leadership is about action, not excuses. Ekiti people deserve a governor who takes responsibility, not one who shifts blame,” the statement read.
Speaking through his campaign team who picked the form oh his behalf. Ojo declared; “This is more than a contest for the ticket of our party; it is the launch of the Ekiti State Rescue Mission. Ekiti is bleeding.
“Our people are yearning for a leader who can restore confidence, ignite development, and deliver good governance.”
The aspirant’s camp accused Oyebanji of alienating APC stakeholders, rewarding opposition figures with appointments, and dismantling the party structure that brought him to power.
Ojo unveiled a blueprint anchored on human capital development, agricultural transformation, tourism expansion, infrastructure renewal, and local government autonomy.
A key highlight is his proposal for a super-highway linking Ekiti to the Lekki seaports, envisioned as a game-changer for trade and industrialisation.
He pledged loyalty to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and vowed to unite the APC in Ekiti ahead of the October 27 primary election.
