Oyebanji clinches APC ticket ahead Ekiti governorship election in June

Former Secretary to the Ekiti State Government (SSG), Mr Biodun Oyebanji, has emerged winner of the heated governorship primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) conducted, Thursday.

Oyebanji, the preferred candidate of the state Governor, Kayose Fayemi beat other aspirants to clinch the APC ticket for the June 18 Governorship Election in the state.

It would be recalled that the opposition, opposition, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) concluded its own primary exercise, earlier on Wednesday, with former chairman of the state chapter of the party, Bisi Kolawole emerging winner.

The APC exercise however, commenced with seven aspirants pulling out of the contest citing manipulation of the poll and irregularities with the delegates’ list for the poll.

Supporters of the aspirants who stormed the party’s secretariat at Ado Ekiti were met with armed force as they attempted to register their grievances before the APC Election Committee, Thursday.

Chairman, APC Governorship Primary Electoral Committee for Ekiti, and Jigawa State Governor, Abubakar Badaru, who declared Oyebanji winner of the primary election, said the former SSG scored 101,703 votes to defeat other aspirants.

Badaru announced that former governorship aspirant, Kayode Ojo, got 767 votes; National Assembly member, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, scored 760 votes; former Minister of Works, Senator Dayo Adeyeye secured 691votes; House of Representatives member, Femi Bamisile scored 400 votes.

Others are a former House of Representatives member, Bamidele Faparusi, who garnered 376 votes; aviation expert, Demola Popoola got 239 votes; and Oluwasola Afolabi scored 47 votes.

Badaru, who said the election followed the party guidelines, said he had not received any official complaint from any aspirant.

However, the exercise at the APC was clouded with controversies as seven aspirants demanded the reconstitution of the Election Committee of the party, as they alleged that it was presently filed with loyalists of the incumbent state Governor, Kayode Fayemi.

The seven aspirants, including,  Kayode Mojo, Demola Popoola, Femi Bamisile, Bamidele Faparusi, Dayo Adeyeye, Opeyemi Bamidele and Afolabi Oluwasola, have since issued a statement in forming the party of their decision to withdraw from the exercise.

The aspirants further alleged that Governor Fayemi is bent on foisting his preferred candidate, Biodun Oyebanji, as winner of the primary poll.

In a statement on Thursday, the aspirants said there is no way the exercise will be fair with the calibre of people sitting on the primary election committees.

“The seven aspirants herein received with rude shock and dismay the purported list of local government election committee and ward election committee made up solely by party members and political appointees that had before now openly endorsed the candidacy of Biodun Oyebanji the immediate past secretary to the state government.

“It is on record that the government of Governor Kayode Fayemi has given its unwavering support to the candidacy of Biodun Oyebanji, it is common knowledge that the Governor and most appointees of the governor are openly rooting for and supporting Biodun Oyebanji’s aspiration to become the flag bearer of our great party.

“What is more disturbing is the fact that a simple glance at the names of the persons appointed as members of both committees would reveal that it is made up of appointees of government who are all supporters of a candidate in the primary election they are appointed to superintend.

“The seven candidates herein are loyal, faithful and committed party members who are sincerely concerned about the chances of the party in the forthcoming 2022 governorship election where an imposition is allowed to override a democratic primary election for determining its flag bearer.

“We request that both the local government election committee and ward election committee was constituted on the list already in circulation be disbanded and replaced with names that would reinforce internal democracy and uphold the aims and objectives of the party.”

Supporters of the aggrieved aspirants had stormed the party secretariat berating the Committee for doctoring the delegates’ list to favour a particular candidate.