Dare Babalola
Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from Ekiti State staged a protest at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja on Friday, expressing outrage and disappointment over the exclusion of Kayode Ojo from the upcoming governorship primary election.
The protesters, who were predominantly supporters of Ojo, voiced their discontent and demanded that the party leadership revisit the decision, alleging that it was unfair and unjust.
The protesters chanted slogans such as “Ekiti says No to Governor Biodun Oyebanji,” “No to Consensus,” and “Yes to Kayode Ojo.”
They carried placards with inscriptions including “We Say No to Kayode Ojo’s Disqualification,” “We Don’t Want Consensus,” “Ekiti Women Reject BAO,” “We Reject BAO,” and “APC Must Let Ekiti People Choose Their Candidate.”
The APC National Working Committee had, a few weeks ago, disqualified Ojo from participating in the October 27 primary in Ekiti State, effectively clearing the path for the incumbent governor, Biodun Oyebanji, to emerge as the consensus candidate.
This announcement of Ojo’s was made just after he visited the party’s secretariat in Ado-Ekiti and was granted no reception by the Party’s Executives.
Ojo was accompanied by thousands of supporters across the 16 local government areas of the state and shut down Ado-Ekiti ahead of the party’s primary election scheduled for October 27.
Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission has fixed the Ekiti State governorship election for July 20, 2026.
APC Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Duro Meseko, who disclosed this while addressing journalists in Abuja on Thursday, October 9, said Governor Abiodun Oyebanji and Omolayo Oluremi were cleared to contest in the primary.
He stated, “The NWC considered and deliberated on the report of the APC Ekiti State governorship aspirant screening exercise.
“The following aspirants were cleared to contest the Party’s Primary Election: Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, Mrs. Atinuke Oluremi Omolayo.
“The following aspirants were disqualified: Engr. Ojo Kayode, Mrs. Abimbola Olajumoke Olawumi.”
Meanwhile, the APC adopted Governor Oyebanji as its consensus candidate for the election.
APC disclosed this as it announced its decision to switch the state primary election from a direct primary to a consensus mode.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, October, 14, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, said the change followed the voluntary withdrawal of one of the two cleared aspirants, Mrs Atinuke Omolayo, who pulled out of the race and endorsed Oyebanji as the consensus choice.
The statement read, “The All Progressives Congress announces its decision to now adopt the consensus mode for the conduct of its governorship primary election in Ekiti State.
“The change from the earlier indicated direct primary to consensus mode of primary was necessitated by the voluntary withdrawal of one of the two cleared aspirants, Mrs Atinuke Oluremi Omolayo.
“In a letter to the party, Mrs Omolayo conveyed her decision to withdraw from the contest and endorse His Excellency, Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, as a consensus candidate, and expressed her support for any arrangement adopted by the party in nominating its flag bearer in accordance with the Electoral Act, 2022 and the party’s Constitution.”
