Ekiti: Ex-commissioner knocks Oyebanji’s endorsements

Oyebanji

The All Progressives Congress in Ekiti State has said the recent endorsements of Governor Biodun Oyebanji for a second term, including Monday’s rally backing President Bola Tinubu and the governor, do not shut the door on other party members seeking the governorship ticket ahead of the 2026 election.

In a statement issued on Wednesday in Ado Ekiti, the state Publicity Secretary, Segun Dipe, said, “As we state repeatedly, such adoption should not foreclose the ambition of other aspirants within the party who may wish to throw themselves into the ring. We are in a democracy, and we are a party that plays according to the rules.”

Dipe encouraged aspirants to come forward and test their popularity through the proper channels.

“Politics is a game of numbers, and our symbol is the broom, signifying unity. However, what we will frown at is for anyone to attempt to decimate our party with his or her ambition.

However, a former Commissioner for Water Resources in the state, Chief Segun Akinwumi, dismissed the flurry of endorsements for Oyebanji, saying they do not guarantee his re-election.

Akinwumi, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, who served under former Governor Ayodele Fayose, told the News Agency of Nigeria in a telephone interview that the endorsements lacked legitimacy and did not reflect the will of the people. Punch