APC clears Oyebanji for Ekiti guber primary, grants Kayode Ojo ‘provisional clearance’

The screening committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the governorship election in Ekiti has cleared Biodun Oyebanji, governor of the state, and two other aspirants.

The screening exercise took place on Tuesday and Wednesday in Abuja.

The committee is chaired by Tunji Olawuyi. Other members include Naseer Kura, Ramara A. I. Faruq, Suleiman Tanimu, Shehu Umar Dange, Smart Iheazor, and Oghenovo Otemu.

In its report, the committee said four governorship aspirants submitted their expression of interest and nomination forms.

The committee said Oyebanji and Atinuke Oluremi Omolayo were “cleared, having satisfied all constitutional and party requirements”.

The screening committee said Kayode Ojo was granted “provisional clearance” with the final decision referred to the APC national working committee (NWC).

“This referral is necessitated by the weight of the petitions against him, particularly his failure to satisfy the mandatory threshold of five valid nominators per local government, and is intended to forestall potential litigation(s) that may arise from this deficiency which is inconsistent with Article 9(1) of the APC Constitution, which provides that only registered and financially up-to-date members of the Party have the right to vote and be voted for, and paragraph 6(c) the Guidelines for Nomination of Candidates,” the committee said.

Before the exercise, some APC members in Ekiti petitioned the screening committee and urged it to disqualify Ojo over alleged failure to meet the mandatory spread of at least five nominators from each LGA in the state.

The committee said Abimbola Olajumoke Olawumi was disqualified “on grounds of lack of evidence that she is a financially up-to-date member in compliance with Article 9(1) of the APC Constitution”.

The party’s primary election is expected to take place next month.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed June 20, 2026 for the conduct of the Ekiti governorship poll.