BREAKING: Biodun Oyebanji wins APC Governorship Primary in Ekiti

Former Secretary to the Ekiti State Government (SSG), Biodun Oyebanji, has won the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary election for the June 18, 2022 guber poll.

Ikogosi born politician was backed by the governor of the state, Kayode Fayemi.

Oyebanji, from Ikogosi Ekiti in the Ekiti Central Senatorial District, was an immediate past SSG and resigned from the position to contest for the governorship poll

Eight aspirants – Oyebaji, Senator Micheal Opeyemi, Kayode Mojo, Demola Popoola, Femi Bamisile, Bamidele Faparusi, Dayo Adeyeye, Opeyemi Bamidele and Afolabi Oluwasola — contested for the race but seven of them not participating today primary election.

The seven aspirants alleged that the primary election committee is made up of loyalists of Kayode Fayemi, Ekiti governor.– participated in the election.

Oyebanji polled Oyebanji Abiodun 101,703 votes to clinch the party’s governorship ticket. Kayode Ojo emerged as the second runner-up with 767 votes.

The chairman of the APC primary election committee and governor of Jigawa State, Abubakar Badaru, said the exercise which took place across the 177 wards in the state was peaceful, transparent and credible.

Breakdown of votes:

Bamidele Faparusi – 376

Ojo Kayode 767

Opeyemi Bamidele – 760

Dayo Adeyeye 691

Femi Bamisile 400

Oyebanji Abiodun 101,703

Toyin Afolabi 47

Demola Popoola 239

But seven governorship aspirants have withdrawn from the party’s primary election in Ekiti state.

The aspirants — Kayode Mojo, Demola Popoola, Femi Bamisile, Bamidele Faparusi, Dayo Adeyeye, Opeyemi Bamidele and Afolabi Oluwasola — alleged that the primary election committee is made up of loyalists of Kayode Fayemi, Ekiti governor.

Nigeria News: Ekiti APC Guber Primary: MOB, Adeyeye, Bamisile, four others withdraw from the primary election

They alleged that Fayemi is making an attempt to foist Biodun Oyebanji, a governorship aspirant, as the party’s governorship standard-bearer in the state.

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 the 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,” they said.

“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 on.”

The aspirants asked the party to reconstitute the primary election committees across the state.

“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,” they said.

“We request  that both the local government election committee and ward election committee that 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.”

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