As the 2026 gubernatorial election in Ekiti State draws closer, political activities in the Fountain of Knowledge have started gathering momentum.
Despite the fact that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has not given the green light for electioneering campaign in the state, politicians have since engaged in series of moves and actions, all aimed at securing a second term for Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, popularly referred to as BAO.
One of such moves was the recent endorsement of BAO for second term in 2026, and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027 at the Ekiti Parapo Pavilion in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, an event that attracted a mammoth crowd of the governor’s supporters within and outside the state.
The event, which brought the state capital to a standstill, attracted All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwarts, supporters and non-APC members across all the 16 local councils and beyond. Also present at the gathering were all former governors of the state, except the immediate past governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, serving lawmakers in the state House of Assembly and the National Assembly, as well as BAO’s supporters from the neighbouring states.
Political pundits and watchers of Ekiti politics will agree that the endorsement was not a fluke. Those who organised it did a perfect job, especially by bringing together former governors, Chief Segun Oni and Mr. Ayodele Fayose, who stood beside each other on the podium. While Oni, who contested against BAO on the platform of Social Democratic Party (SDP) in 2022 appeared on the occasion in APC apron, Fayose wore his People’s Democratic Party (PDP) identity to the pleasant surprise of many. Various professional groups, market women and men, artisans, Community Development Associations (CDAs), retirees, non-indigenes’ groups and so many others were also well represented and their mission was clear: To tell the world that Oyebanji and Tinubu have both done exceedingly well and they deserve a second term in office.
The endorsement rally was also a demonstration of the love the people of Ekiti State have for both Oyebanji and Tinubu, as the result of the state was the first to be declared by INEC in the 2023 Presidential Election and all was for Tinubu. To many, the endorsements of both leaders did not come as a surprise.
With development from Oyebanji’s administration touching every nook and cranny of my dear Ekiti State, the people believe the best way to show appreciation to him is to allow him go for a second term. After all, some state governors are also collecting increased monthly allocations from the Federation Account like Oyebanji, but have refused to use it for the development of their state, the people argued.
Right from day one, Oyebanji, anointed by Fayemi in the 2022 governorship election, did not put anybody in doubt about his ability to deliver the dividends of democracy to the residents of the state. Almost three years down the line, he has proved to them that he is what the Yoruba refer to as “Ijinle”, that is he who is deep and understands where the shoes pinch his people, having lived among them for most part of his life.
What the people of Ekiti regard as the governor’s Midas touch is firstly evident in the state capital where a massive flyover project is ongoing and adequate compensation paid to those whose properties were affected by the construction, and the various road and bridge projects that are currently going on to link various communities in the state capital together as well as the entire state with each other.
Besides, federal roads leading to Ekiti are currently under reconstruction and rehabilitation, which made the state government to issue travel advisory to those travelling to and through the state state, recently. This is to make Ekiti easily accessible to the indigenes, potential investors and travellers alike.
The agro-allied airport project, started by the Fayemi administration, has been receiving favourable attention from Oyebanji who ensured that the Federal Government granted a six months permit to the airport to receive chartered flights with the hope that scheduled commercial flight operations will commence there very soon.
The effect of Oyebanji’s administration is also being felt in education with massive school renovation, recruitment of thousands of teachers for various levels and provision of teaching aids and laboratory equipment, among others.
In the same vein, it is felt in the health sector with more drugs and equipment in the hospitals, including Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH) where a massive 800-bed ward is currently under construction, recruitment of more health workers and renovation of the various primary health centres and general hospitals in the state.
In agriculture, which Ekiti Kete are known for, it is the same story. New farm settlements have been established for interested youths to engage in farming and provide cheap foods for the people of the state and beyond. The farm settlements located in various parts of the state are provided with adequate security and all social amenities needed to make the youth comfortable.
Besides, the governor as the Chief Security Officer of the state is providing adequate security for the residents, who now sleep with their two eyes closed, making Ekiti the safest and the most peaceful state in the country at present. Oyebanji is adequately complimenting the efforts of the various security agencies in the state with heavy investment in security to ensure that his people live, travel and sleep peacefully. This and other measures have made the state very attractive to potential investors, but unattractive to criminals who are scared of the police, other security agencies and the local vigilantes.
Tertiary education is also not left out in what many consider as a subtle revolution. The whole improvement started with the clearing of all the backlogs of salaries and allowances owed workers in tertiary institutions in the state, including Ekiti State University (EKSU), Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology (BOUESTI) and Ekiti State Polytechnic, where he also increased their monthly allocations tremendously.
There is an ongoing massive renovation of buildings and other infrastructure in the institutions. Students of Ekiti origin in higher institutions across the country have equally continued to benefit from bursary and scholarship awards since the inception of this administration with students in the Nigerian Law School from the state, including those owed arrears, receiving their bursary of N150, 000 each late last year.
Unlike in the past when many pensioners in the state died of frustration and illnesses while waiting for their gratuity and monthly pension, which they never received, the situation has changed considerably under the present administration. Areas of pensioners’ entitlements have been cleared and regular payment of monthly pension has replaced the non-payment of the past. Joyfully, pensioners no longer wait unend before their gratuity and monthly pension are paid.
In addition, the traditional institution and elders are not left out in the wave of upliftment in the state. Believing so much in the concept of “Omoluabi”, which the Yoruba are known for, Oyebanji has taken the pains to galvanize monarchs and elders in Ekiti as a way to ensure that development is spread at the grassroots and community level. For this, he continues to receive accolades from the revered monarchs and elders.
All this and others too numerous to mention here because of space constraints are clearly the reasons why Ekiti Kete are in frenzy for the 2026 election. During my last visit to the state, the love of Oyebanji is so palpable to the extent that the very few people who are opposed to his second term in office either always talk in hushed tone or completely keep quiet when his stellar performance is the subject of discussion in beer parlours, buses, taxis, markets, offices, banking halls, schools and other public places.
The governor’s relentless efforts to spread development all over the state will surely etch his name in the golden book of history and the minds of the people, while he is still at the helm and long after his administration.
*Omolale, a seasoned journalist, sent in this piece from Lagos.
