To sustain the tempo of development, peace and stability and engender campaign strategy that can spin a winning streak, high profile All Progressives Congress stakeholders in Ekiti State have insisted that Governor Biodun Oyebanji and Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye joint ticket remains the best for the state till 2030.
This was part of the resolutions reached by APC leaders and members across the 11 Wards of Ikere Local Government, at their well attended expanded ward meeting held on 18th August, 2025, held at Ojude BAO , Ikere Ekiti.
At the gathering, the ranks of the party further swelled, as it received scores of defectors from the major opposition People’s Democratic Party and other smaller parties into APC.
The motion for the adoption of Governor Oyebanji and Mrs Afuye was moved by a former member of the National Assembly, Hon Francis Aladejebi and seconded by an ex-Ekiti State House of Assembly Majority Leader, Hon.Kayode Babade.
Going by the aggregate of the submissions of contributors at the meeting, the stakeholders averred that they took the action in the overall interest of the state, saying they won’t sacrifice the peace and stability of the state on the altar of dirty politics.
The stakeholders, comprising political juggernauts and opinion moulders, in their resolutions, unitedly stood form by the endorsement verdict earlier passed on Governor Oyebanji to run for second term alongside his Deputy, Mrs Afuye to pilot the affairs of the state till 2030.
In a manner suggestive of a passage of vote of confidence in leadership, the APC stalwarts, endorsed and ratified Mrs Afuye’s renomination for the joint ticket with Governor Oyebanji, on account of her unflagging loyalty, sacrifice and competence in service delivery.
In an assertive fashion, the APC leaders stoutly rejected the call for Mrs Afuye’s substitution under any guise as being mooted in a certain quarters, saying this may spell doom for the party on account of her loyalty and political strength across strata.
They said: “That the entire leaders/ members of APC in Ikere LG have unshakeable confidence in Governor Biodun Oyebanji/Monisade Afuye’s workable joint ticket for another term.
“The unanimous decision stemmed from the rapid development, stability and peace being witnessed in Ekiti State through the duo’s working relationship since October 16,2022.
“We commend Governor Biodun Oyebanji for gleefully accepting Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye’s nomination without opposition”, they concluded.
Speaking at the political gathering, the APC State Chairman, Hon. Sola Elesin, described the deputy Governor as an upright, loyal and straightforward politician, who has worked hard with Governor Oyebanji to ramp up development in the state.
Elesin also debunked the swirling insinuation that the three most prominent leaders: Governor Oyebanji, former Governors Niyi Adebayo and Dr. Kayode Fayemi are at loggerheads, while puncturing the notion that some APC leaders were contemplating defection to the coalition African Democratic Congress( ADC).
“It was sad that anybody will rise up from Ikere Local Government and said we should drop the Deputy Governor from the joint ticket with Governor Oyebanji. We won’t change a winning team and it is on Oyebanji/Afuye joint ticket that we stand. We have not changed at the state level.
“This cheap gossips only exist on social media, we have not heard about it at the state level. Let me also tell you that all our leaders are united and operate in one accord. No faction at all in our party”.
Former National Assembly member, Senator Tony Adeniyi, a former Commissioner, Hon. Dapo Karounwi and an APC leader in Ado Local Government, Chief Remi Oguntuase, said it will be calamitous for the ruling party to change a winning team in 2026 as represented by Oyebanji and Afuye.