A group of members of All Progressives Congress (APC) from Ekiti State stormed the party’s national headquarters in Abuja on Friday, protesting the exclusion of Kayode Ojo from the upcoming governorship primary.
The demonstrators, mostly women, carried placards and chanted slogans such as “Ekiti says no to Governor Biodun Oyebanji,” “No to consensus,” and “Yes to Kayode Ojo.” Their messages, boldly written on placards, included phrases like “We say no to Kayode Ojo’s disqualification,” “Ekiti women reject BAO,” and “APC must let Ekiti people choose their candidate.”
Ojo, a major contender for the APC ticket, was disqualified by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) a few weeks ago from participating in the October 27 governorship primary. The decision, which effectively cleared the way for incumbent Governor Biodun Oyebanji to emerge as the consensus candidate, has sparked widespread anger among Ojo’s supporters.
The protestors accused the party leadership of undermining internal democracy and insisted that every aspirant deserves a fair chance to contest.
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has scheduled the Ekiti State governorship election for July 20, 2026, giving the APC and other political parties several months to resolve their internal disputes ahead of the poll.