By The governorship primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has come and gone with the emergence of Biodun Oyebanji as the party’s flagbearer.
Oyebanji, the immediate past Secretary to the State Government (SSG), polled 101,703 votes, to defeat his closest contenders — Ojo Kayode who had 767, Opeyemi Bamidele with 760 and Dayo Adeyeye who polled 691 votes.
The Chairman of the Primary Election Committee and Jigawa State governor, Mohammed Badaru announced the result of the exercise held on Thursday.
The primary election, however, wasn’t without controversies. Hours into the exercise, seven aspirants led by the senator representing Ekiti Central, Opeyemi Bamidele withdrew from the election and called for its cancellation, alleging that the Primary Election Committee is working to ensure that Oyebanji — the anointed aspirant of Governor Kayode Fayemi — win at all costs.
“The outcome of this election is predetermined. We want the process cancelled because we don’t want the committee to embarrass our party by forcing us to confront them in the court,” Opeyemi had claimed.
Unfortunately, the calls fell to deaf ears as the primary election proceeded as Oyebanji was later declared winner of the exercise.
Oyebanji, who served as the Chief of Staff to Fayemi in his first term, will battle for the governorship seat at the polls billed to hold on June 18.
The APC governorship candidate will go shoulder to shoulder against the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bisi Kolawole who is believed to be backed by former Governor Ayodele Fayose.
