Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji

Gbenga Sodeinde in Ado Ekiti

As the All Progressives Congress gears up for its governorship primary, preparatory to the June 20, 2026 governorship election in Ekiti State, the Deputy Governor, Mrs Monisade Afuye, has declared that her principal, Governor Biodun Oyebanji, remains the best for the state till 2030.

She stated that the state can’t afford a trial and error governance, by electing a neophyte to govern the state at the expense of an experienced governor like Oyebanji, whom she said has been tested and trusted as an administrator.

Mrs Afuye spoke in Aramoko and Ado Ekiti, headquarters of Ekiti West and Ado Local Governments on Monday, at the conclusion of the women mobilisation tour organised by the office of the First Lady, Dr. Olayemi Oyebanji to rally support for her husband.

Mrs Afuye assured the APC members that his boss, Biodun Oyebanji will serve more inclusively and beneficially, if given the second term in office.

She saluted the APC members in Ekiti West and Ado Local Governments for their spirit of camaraderie and solid backing towards Governor Oyebanji and the First Lady, who are their son and daughter.

“You have tested Governor Oyebanji and found him suitable as a Governor. He has done excellently well in the last three years. You know that if given a second term, he will do more. I want you to double your votes for him.

“Our governor hails from Ekiti West and the First Lady is from Ado Ekiti. He is your son. I know you won’t let him down. As you won’t let him down, he too will not disappoint you, be rest assured about this.

“What we need in Ekiti is someone with the experience and the fear of God to lead us. I know Governor Oyebanji possesses all these qualities”, she said.

Making projection into the future, Mrs Afuye added that the government will continue to be gender sensitive, by allotting more lofty positions to women in politics and administration, saying the governor is counting heavily on them to clinch the ticket in the party’s primary.

The Secretary to the State Government, Prof Habibat Adubiaro, commended the governor for standing by women to rise politically and administratively saying only Ekiti has six members in the House of Assembly in the country.

Prof Adubiaro assured that the government will elevate more women into exalted positions, if Governor Oyebanji is allowed to control the lever of power till 2030.

The APC Women leader, Mrs Caroline Eegunlusi and the Chairperson, Ekiti APC Women Council, Mrs Ronke Okusanya, said Ekiti women have indisputably enjoyed the dividends of democracy under Governor Oyebanji’s leadership.

They posited that the governor deserved being supported by womenfolk at the APC’s primary and the main election slated for 2026, urging them not to disappoint for posterity to judge them well as people who mean well for the state.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Political Matters, Chief Jide Awe, urged the women and other party members to be steadfast in their support for the governor, who has served with passion and delivered the best for the state.
Awe said the massive turn out of women at the mobilisation tour, was a well amplified message that Ekiti is safe for Governor Oyebanji in the impending primary and governorship poll, urging them not to allow anybody to derail the ongoing process, they way it happended in 2014.

“The governorship primary comes up in September this year, please, stand with the governor. Let us allow the present level of development to continue. We can’t allow Ekiti to go back to Egypt, support the governor to win the party’s ticket in the interest of all of us”, Awe said.

On the entourage are: Deputy Speaker, Ekiti State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Bolaji Olagbaju, Hon Sola Elesin-led APC State Working Committee, Commissioners, Special Advisers, women groups, market women, women political office holders, among others