APC, PDP Heat Up Final Two-Week Campaign Push In Ekiti

The All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party intensified their campaigns across Ekiti State on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, entering the final ten-day stretch before the June 20 governorship election, with incumbent Governor Biodun Oyebanji holding a commanding advantage while the PDP scrambled to mount a credible late challenge.

INEC confirmed that 12 political parties had been fully cleared to contest the election across Ekiti’s 16 local government areas. The commission reiterated its call for voters who had not yet collected their Permanent Voter Cards to do so urgently, warning that the window for collection was narrowing rapidly ahead of election day.

APC campaigns have focused on Governor Oyebanji’s infrastructure and economic development record, with party officials pointing to road construction, education investments, and civil service reform as evidence of a administration that has delivered on its promises. The party also noted that Oyebanji had received endorsements from a broad cross-section of community and professional groups across the state.

PDP Fights Against the Clock

The PDP candidate, Oluwole Oluyede, has escalated his attacks on the APC in the final stretch, describing the ruling party’s primary as the worst-conducted exercise in Nigerian democratic history and urging Ekiti voters to use the election as an opportunity to send a message about their desire for change. However, analysts say the opposition’s window for a meaningful upset is extremely narrow given the APC’s structural advantages and the incumbent’s relatively stable approval rating.

Meanwhile, the Fayose factor continued to cast a shadow over the PDP’s campaign. Former Governor Ayo Fayose’s controversial allegation that the Oyo State government orchestrated the Oriire school abduction had generated significant negative attention and forced the PDP candidate to publicly distance himself from his own party’s most recognisable figure in the state.

Furthermore, a coalition of civil society organisations calling itself Ekiti 2026 used a press conference to appeal to all parties, candidates, and security agencies to ensure a peaceful and credible election day. The group said Ekiti voters had waited long enough for an election that would reflect their genuine preferences rather than the preferences of political godfathers. Notably, INEC said its logistics preparations were on track, with materials and personnel deployed in advance to all senatorial zones of the state. Consequently, the stage appears to be fully set for a June 20 election that most analysts expect to deliver a second term for Oyebanji but which carries broader symbolic importance for Nigeria’s electoral credibility ahead of the much-bigger 2027 cycle.

Wike Warns Market Leaders in Abuja

In related governance news, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike warned Abuja market leaders against shutting down commercial activities for political rallies or partisan events, threatening sanctions for any trader organisation that complied with politically motivated market closures. In addition, the Enugu State government issued a similar warning to market associations ahead of local government elections in that state. As a result, state and federal authorities are taking a firmer stance against the disruption of economic activity for political purposes as the 2027 campaign season heats up.