Ahead of the June 20 governorship election in Ekiti State, the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Wednesday inaugurated a high powered National Campaign Council to drive Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s re election campaign.
The inauguration, held at the Kashim Shettima Hall of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, Abuja, attended by the National Chairman of the party, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, Senator President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, serving and former governors, serving and former ministers and party leaders across the six geographical political zones.
Addressing party leaders and members at the inauguration, APC National Chairman, Professor Yilwatda, said the party was approaching the election from a position of strength, insisting that Governor Oyebanji’s performance over the last four years had provided a compelling case for re- election and made the campaign Councils work a lot easier.
According to him, the governor’s achievements in infrastructure renewal, rural development, healthcare delivery, education, youth empowerment, agriculture and social investments have not only earned him public goodwill but have also strengthened the APC’s popularity across communities in the state.
He noted that the administration’s emphasis on inclusive governance has ensured that no segment of society was left behind.
Professor Yilwatda explained that the composition of the National Campaign Council reflected the leadership philosophy of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which prioritises inclusion, participation and broad stakeholder engagement. He added that women, youths, persons with disabilities and representatives of various interest groups were deliberately accommodated within the campaign architecture to ensure that every voice is represented in the electoral process.
“I can testify as an eye witness that the Governor is doing very well. in terms of infrastructure, you have built road, you have provided social protection for your people, you have provided scholarships, You have provided health support system for your people, you are not only connecting roads, you are connecting Houses across the state, we celebrate you and we thank God for giving you to the people of Ekiti State and Our Party. We are proud that we have you and I say congratulations to you in advance.
“No political party can parade this array of people we have in this council. I challenge any candidate to present any Governor or Personality behind him during campaign, we will present ten times of such bigwigs within our party to support you. We have the numbers, we have the strength, and we are prepared.”, the chairman said.
The APC National Chairman further stated that the campaign would not merely focus on winning votes but on presenting to the people of Ekiti a clear account of the administration’s stewardship and its vision for the future. He expressed confidence that the governor’s record in office would resonate with voters when they head to the polls.
Providing insight into the operational framework of the council, APC National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, disclosed that specialised committees had been established to coordinate every aspect of the campaign. These include election planning and management, grassroots mobilisation, finance and resource mobilisation, media and publicity, security, protocol, logistics, women’s mobilisation, youth mobilisation and secretariat operations.
“As it is in the character of our party Every election matters to us. and we believe that we must put in our best in terms of human resources, In terms of capacity leadership and in terms of adequate preparation for the election. The composition comprises best of the best elements in progressive politics in Nigeria with adequate experience and exposure on how to deliver victory for our party I June 20 2026 in Ekiti State.” He remarked
Basiru noted that the comprehensive structure was designed to ensure a seamless campaign across all wards and local government areas of the state, while also strengthening engagement with critical voting blocs ahead of the election.
The council is chaired by Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, with President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, serving as Co Chairman, while Senate Leader, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, takes responsibility as Secretary.
Speaking shortly after his inauguration as Chairman of the Campaign Council, Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, declared that Governor Oyebanji had made the task of campaigning considerably easier through what he described as an uncommon combination of humility, competence and political maturity.
He said the Ekiti governor had succeeded in building bridges across political divides and maintaining harmonious relationships with stakeholders regardless of party affiliation. According to him, the governor’s disposition has transformed him from being merely a political leader into a rallying point for consensus and development in the state.
“I really want to acknowledge the remarkable achievement of my brother the Governor of Ekiti State, Biodun Oyebanji. Our goal for the upcoming election is ambitious yet achievable we are targeting 100 percent victory for Biodun Oyebanji with nothing less than 500,000 votes. I am pleased to announce to you that we have established formidable campaign structures across the sixteen local government areas and 177 wards in Ekiti.
In the same vein, Senate President and Co-chairman of the campaign Council Senator Godswill Akpabio described Oyebanji as one of the most unifying governors in the country, noting that his humility and inclusive style of governance had earned him the respect of political leaders across generations.
The Senate President said it is rare in contemporary politics to see a governor enjoying the support and goodwill of leaders from different tendencies within the same political family.
Akpabio said the prevailing atmosphere of unity within the Ekiti APC is a testament to the governor’s ability to place the interests of the state above personal or political considerations.
Akpabio who declared that Oyebanji has been the most friendly Governor to the current National Assembly, assured party members that the National Campaign Council would deploy its experience, networks and resources to ensure a successful outing for the APC at the polls, saying that it is a pay back time for the Governor and the people of Ekiti State.
In his Remarks, Governor Oyebanji expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu, the APC National Working Committee and party leaders across the country for their support, atttributing the successes of his administration to the cooperation he has enjoyed from the President, party leaders and the people of Ekiti.
He said the supports had enabled his government to pursue people centred policies and development initiatives that have touched lives across the state.
Oyebanji pledged to remain committed to inclusive governance, sustainable development and policies that directly improve the welfare of citizens, assuring party leaders that the trust reposed in him would not be taken for granted.
“For the past three years plus, we have succeeded in ensuring that the social contract we signed with the people of Ekiti have been duly followed. And we have no fear and we have no doubt that Ekiti people will on June 20 vote our performance. But whatever we have achieved as a government in the last three years, after God, the Credit Goes to the President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He provides the resources for all of us to ensure that we deliver on our promises to the people.
the Challenge in Ekiti is not about the winning, the challenge is about the numbers. I the last election we have Mr President 67 percent of our vote, but for this coming election we want to do 500,000 and for the general election in 2027, we want to do 700, 000 votes.
It is indeed ambitious but it not impossible because we have done everything humanly possible and we are still doing everything to connect with the real voters and bring them out on the day of elections.” Oyebanji said.
He stressed that his administration would continue to place the people at the centre of governance while consolidating the gains already recorded across key sectors of the state’s economy.
