Ekiti Election: APC, PDP Trade Blows as June 20 Governorship Vote Nears

Political tensions in Ekiti State are rising sharply ahead of the June 20, 2026 governorship election, with the ruling All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party trading sharp words as both parties intensify their campaigns across the state’s 16 local government areas.

PDP governorship candidate Oluwole Oluyede slammed the APC’s recently concluded primary election as the worst in the history of Nigerian democracy, alleging widespread irregularities in the process that produced Governor Biodun Oyebanji as the party’s candidate for a second term. Oluyede said the conduct of the primary was a sign of the arrogance of a government he described as disconnected from the concerns of ordinary Ekiti residents.

The APC fired back through its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, saying the opposition was clutching at straws after failing to mount any credible challenge to the governor’s record in office. Morka said the party had pledged to run issue-based campaigns focused on governance achievements and development plans for a second term.

Oyebanji Awaits Final Abuja Endorsement
Analysts say Governor Oyebanji remains the strong favourite to win re-election given the fractured state of the opposition and the APC’s structural dominance in Ekiti. However, political observers note that the final piece in Oyebanji’s campaign puzzle is a formal public endorsement from President Tinubu, who has yet to issue one despite the governor receiving sweeping support from APC chieftains across the state.

Meanwhile, the Ekiti State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party faced its own internal turbulence as a public row broke out between former Governor Ayo Fayose and the PDP governorship candidate, with Fayose’s comments about the Oyo abduction further distracting from the party’s campaign message. Fayose had alleged on Channels Television that the Oyo State government orchestrated the abduction of schoolchildren to embarrass President Tinubu, a claim the Makinde government and the PDP candidate both publicly condemned.

Furthermore, INEC reiterated its call for eligible voters in Ekiti to collect their Permanent Voter Cards ahead of election day, warning that anyone without a PVC would be unable to vote. The commission also urged all security agencies to maintain strict neutrality throughout the election process. Notably, thirteen political parties had already signed a peace accord ahead of the vote, signalling a collective commitment to a non-violent election even as political rhetoric escalated.

UK Backs Credible Election Process
In addition, the British High Commission issued a statement expressing the United Kingdom’s support for a credible and peaceful Ekiti governorship election, noting that Nigeria’s democratic stability was of significant interest to the UK given its economic, financial, and security ties with Abuja. The APC pledged to conduct issue-based campaigns for both the Ekiti and Osun elections. As a result, international attention is now focused on June 20 as an early test of Nigeria’s electoral credibility ahead of the much bigger 2027 cycle.