Former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose
Former governor and influential Ekiti group hail Oyebanji’s performance, predict victory across 177 wards
Former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has openly endorsed the re-election bid of Governor Biodun Oyebanji, joining forces with a respected socio-cultural group in Ikole Local Government Area to back the incumbent ahead of the 2026 governorship election.
Fayose, who governed the state twice and remains a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, said his decision to support Oyebanji was based on performance and political realities, stressing that the governor’s chances of securing a second term were indisputable. He declared that he owed no one an apology for standing by Oyebanji, just as he also reaffirmed his support for the 2027 presidential ambition of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Speaking through a statement on Thursday, Fayose described Oyebanji’s recent submission of the All Progressives Congress nomination and expression of interest forms in Abuja as a “clear show of political strength.” He said the massive turnout of political leaders who accompanied the governor was proof that “there will be no vacancy in the Ekiti Government House until 2030.”
“With the array of political bigwigs that accompanied the governor to submit his party nomination form in Abuja, it should now be clear to those still hanging on false hopes that there will be no vacancy in the Ekiti Government House until 2030,” Fayose said.
The former governor predicted that Oyebanji, by divine grace, would not only repeat his 2022 electoral feat of winning all 16 local government areas in the state but also surpass it by sweeping all 177 wards in the forthcoming election. He urged the governor to remain focused on delivering the dividends of democracy, dismissing criticisms from opponents as a “mere storm in a teacup.”
In a separate development, the Ako Indigenous Resolute Club of Oke Ako, a prominent socio-cultural organisation in Ikole Local Government Area, also threw its weight behind Oyebanji’s second-term ambition. The group highlighted what it described as the governor’s “giant strides” in agriculture, infrastructure, and security as reasons for its endorsement.
In a statement jointly signed by its Chairman, Mr. Olaiya Kehinde, and Secretary, Mr. Abayomi Adeleye, the forum commended the governor’s transformative impact within just three years in office. It noted that communities in Oke Ako and its environs had witnessed a major turnaround in agricultural development under Oyebanji’s administration.
According to the group, access roads linking Oke Ako with Iyemero and Igbokoko Farm Settlement had been constructed, while rehabilitation work was ongoing on the Aiyedun-Ipao-Oke Ako-Irele Road. In addition, the state government allocated over 10,000 hectares of land to major investors for large-scale farming, creating hundreds of job opportunities for youths under the “Bring Back Youths to Agriculture” initiative. Local farmers who released their lands for the project were reportedly compensated handsomely.
Beyond agriculture, the forum also lauded Oyebanji for restoring peace and security in Oke Ako, which had previously been a hotspot for kidnappers and criminals. It said residents could now live and run their businesses without fear, thanks to the governor’s decisive security measures.
“We are all living witnesses to the untiring efforts of the governor to ensure peace in our community. The people of Oke Ako can now live and operate their businesses in peace due largely to his strategies,” the statement read.
Both Fayose and the Oke Ako community called on the people of Ekiti State to rally behind Oyebanji in the 2026 governorship election, arguing that his re-election would allow him to consolidate on his developmental programmes and complete his ongoing projects.
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