Breaking News: NWC May Shut the Door on Kayode Ojo’s Ambition

…as Petitions Against Him Too Weighty to Ignore

NaijaPulse

September 29, 2025 

The governorship ambition of Engr. Kayode Ojo is heading towards the rocks as the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Working Committee (NWC) prepares to decide his fate in the build-up to the Ekiti 2026 governorship primary.

Though the Screening Committee granted him only a provisional clearance, it cited weighty petitions that cast serious doubt on his eligibility under the party’s constitution. The matter has since been referred to the NWC, which now holds the final say.

Central to the petitions is the allegation that Ojo failed to meet the constitutional requirements for nomination. He was said to have fallen short of the mandatory threshold of valid nominators from across the 16 local government areas. Some NWC members warn that ignoring these irregularities could drag the APC into protracted litigations that may jeopardize its unity and electoral chances.

A party insider explained: “The petitions against Kayode Ojo are too weighty to be ignored. If he is cleared and by some miracle wins, which is very unlikely, the litigation that will follow will cost the party dearly. That is why the NWC, when it meets, will most likely not clear him.”

Beyond the petitions, another major setback for Ojo is his strained relationship with party leaders. Known for his unguarded and abrasive style of vituperation, Ojo has, on several occasions, launched verbal attacks on elders and leaders of the APC, including members of the NWC.

He is alleged to have branded them as “corrupt, biased and self-serving” in the past, a posture that may now return to haunt him, with the same leaders set to decide his political future.

This history of strained ties could weigh heavily against him. “He has abused and insulted the very people who will sit in judgment over him. That alone is another stumbling block,” a source hinted.

As the NWC prepares to make its final pronouncement, there is little or no tension within the Ekiti APC, as the party has already adopted Governor Biodun Oyebanji (BAO) and conceded victory to him in advance. Whether Ojo is cleared or not makes no difference, as the consensus across the party structure is that the primary election is already a walkover for BAO.

As of 5:00pm on September 29, 2025, the National Working Committee has not convened to deliberate on the petitions. Therefore, any report suggesting that Engr. Kayode Ojo has been cleared should be regarded as false and misleading until an official pronouncement is made by the NWC.

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Ekiti 2026: While Other Aspirants Hunt for Validators, Oyebanji’s Structure Dominates the Field

In Ekiti politics, the difference between wishful thinking and real contest is now becoming glaring, as reality is dawning on those whose political structures are only on social media.

While Engr. Kayode Ojo, popularly known as the Provisional TEMU aspirant, is still running helter-skelter in search of just five registered validators per local government across the 16 LGAs, Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s re-election machinery has been firing on all cylinders, from state to local government to the grassroots.

The BAO Primary Election Committee, chaired by Chief Alaba Abejide with Mr. Ayodeji Adarabierin as Secretary, has already inaugurated executives in all local governments and wasted no time in hitting the wards with a mobilisation tour that covers the entire 177 wards of the state.

For party members, the APC primary of October 27, 2025, is already seen as a walkover for Oyebanji. But true to his style, the governor has refused to take chances. Every structure is in place, every base covered. That, insiders say, is the mark of a serious contender, not the antics of aspirants who mistake WhatsApp platforms for constituencies and polling units.

Politics is not played on social media. It is played on the field. Governor Oyebanji has shown that he has the people, the structure, and the achievements to return to Òkè Ayọba. That’s the difference. 

In Efon, Hon. Bose Olowookere declared Oyebanji’s candidacy a “homecoming,” stressing that the governor is a son of the soil whose first term has brought pride to the community. Rt. Hon. Taiwo Olatunbosun in Irepodun/Ifelodun assured that grassroots mobilisation would be “unstoppable,” while Hon. Bosun Osaloni in Ado charged members to remain steadfast because “nobody can defeat our principal.”

The ward-to-ward tour, which kicked off September 29 and continues through early October, is deepening grassroots participation and reinforcing Oyebanji’s overwhelming acceptance across Ekiti.

While some are still struggling with paperwork, a barrage of petitions, and NWC clearance that may not come, Governor Oyebanji’s camp has already won over the entire structures, winning the hearts of party faithful and celebrating victory in advance.

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Party Loyalists Mock Kayode Ojo After Failing Nomination Requirement

...as APC Screening Panel Refers Case to NWC

NaijaPulse 

September 26, 2025

The governorship aspiration of Engr. Kayode Ojo has come under heavy ridicule from party loyalists after the All Progressives Congress (APC) screening committee flagged his failure to secure the mandatory five valid nominators per local government, a constitutional requirement for eligibility in the 2026 Ekiti governorship primary.

The screening panel, in its report, stressed that Ojo’s documentation fell short of the party’s guidelines, thereby casting serious doubt on his qualification to contest. His case has now been referred to the APC National Working Committee (NWC) for further determination.

By contrast, Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji and Mrs. Atinuke Oluremi Omolayo were given full clearance, while Mrs. Abimbola Olajumoke Olawumi was disqualified outright for failing to provide evidence of being a financially up-to-date party member.

The screening verdict has generated a flurry of reactions among APC loyalists and political watchers in Ekiti, with many interpreting it as a crippling blow to Ojo’s long-standing governorship ambition.

Ayodeji Olarewaju (Aduroja), a party loyalist, said Ojo’s inability to secure valid nominators across all local governments was proof of his lack of grassroots support.

“Someone that cannot muster five nominators per local government is not politically on ground. I stand to be corrected,” he said.

Aduroja added that Ojo’s approach to politics, marked by disregard for elders and grassroots leaders, had backfired.

“While Governor Oyebanji was touring and seeking support from leaders who matter in the selection process, Ojo’s camp was busy criticising him. Some even said elders did not matter and wanted to infuse fresh blood. Now the results are clear, Kayode Ojo could not get five nominators per local government. It is a solid fact that shows his political support is non-existent, contrary to the posture of his online supporters,” he declared.

Another party loyalist, identified as Dbaba, noted that Ojo’s case now lies before the APC National Secretary, a development he described as ironic.

"His case has been referred to the National Working Committee, and the National Secretary, Senator Surajudeen Ajibola Basiru, whom he has long disparaged, will now be among those deciding his fate. Karma has indeed caught up with him," he remarked.

For Comrade Maxwell, the screening setback has clearly exposed Ojo’s lack of presidential backing. “Even if he is eventually cleared, this has further shown that he is not known in the Villa and was never a Villa candidate, contrary to the impression he has long been brandishing. I have never, for one day, doubted Governor Oyebanji’s re-election,” Maxwell insisted.

Asiwaju Oladimeji, reflecting on Ojo’s past and present attempts, criticised what he described as arrogance and poor political preparation.

“If as an aspirant you are unable to get just five mandatory valid nominations per local government in Ekiti State, you have no business picking up the nomination form in the first instance. This was the same arrogance that ruined his last outing. Who are his advisers? Who are the people working for him across the wards and LGAs?” he queried.

Oladimeji, who said he worked closely with Ojo during the 2022 election cycle, was emphatic that the 2026 race was already settled.

“Like I said, there will not be any contest. Governor Oyebanji is winning with ease. If you think otherwise, wait till October 27,” he asserted.

The flood of reactions highlights a growing consensus within APC circles that Oyebanji’s clearance has consolidated his path to re-election, while Ojo’s failure to meet the basic nomination threshold may end his ambition before the primaries even commence.

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Breaking News: APC Screening Committee Acknowledges Receipt of Petition Against Kayode Ojo

Ado Ekiti,

September 23, 2025 

The All Progressives Congress (APC) Screening Committee for the Ekiti Governorship primaries has officially acknowledged the receipt of a petition seeking the disqualification of Engr. Kayode Ojo from the 2026 governorship race.

The acknowledgment came from the Committee Chairman, Hon. Tunji Olawuyi, confirming that the petition, submitted by concerned APC stakeholders under the umbrella of Renewed Media Agenda, has been received and will be considered.

The petitioners had accused Ojo of disloyalty, sabotage, and anti-party activities, including mocking government initiatives, funding media campaigns against the party, and allegedly aligning with opposition forces. They urged the Screening Committee to deny his clearance and recommend disciplinary action.

The Committee’s acknowledgment signals the formal start of the review process, though no further comments on the substance of the petition have been made.

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Disloyalty Allegations Hit Kayode Ojo as APC Stakeholders Seek Disqualification

Ado Ekiti,

September 23, 2025

Concerned stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State, under the umbrella of Renewed Media Agenda, have formally petitioned the APC National Secretariat opposing the clearance of Engr. Kayode Ojo as a governorship aspirant for the 2026 elections.

In the petition addressed to the Chairman of the APC Governorship Screening Committee, Hon. Tunji Olawuyi, with a copy to the National Organising Secretary, the group cited allegations of disloyalty, sabotage, and anti-party activities against Ojo, warning that his clearance could undermine the integrity and unity of the party in Ekiti and Nigeria at large.

The petitioners accused Ojo of sponsoring comedians to ridicule the Federal Government over the Aramoko-Igede road project, funding media smear campaigns against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, and mocking initiatives of the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu. They also claimed he had formed alliances with opposition forces, recruited over 150 social media influencers to attack the government, and repeatedly taken the party to court.

Ojo was further accused of making public statements insulting past and present Ekiti leaders, disrespecting Yoruba cultural values, and disparaging the state’s educational achievements.

According to the petition, Ojo represents a “serial betrayer, saboteur, and destabilizer”, lacking grassroots support and relying instead on social media propaganda. The petitioners urged the Screening Committee to deny his clearance, recommend disciplinary action, and reaffirm APC’s commitment to rewarding loyalty.

The petition was signed by Comrade Sesan Akintunde (National Coordinator), Surveyor Murtala Olarewaju (Secretary General), and Dr. Akeju Akinsola (Publicity Secretary).

The APC Screening Committee is yet to comment on the petition.

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Ekiti APC Stakeholders Query Kayode Ojo’s Political Loyalty Ahead of 2026 Guber Race

23rd September, 2025

The political atmosphere in Ekiti State is heating up as questions are being raised over the credibility and loyalty of Engineer Kayode Ojo, who recently declared interest in contesting the 2026 governorship election under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Party loyalists in the state argue that Ojo’s political history is riddled with contradictions that cast doubt on his suitability to fly the party’s flag. 

Top echelons of the party recalled that during the 2022 governorship race, Ojo boycotted the APC primary election that produced Governor Biodun Oyebanji as candidate, only to later direct his supporters to back the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate in the general election. 

They also raised concerns about his subsequent decision to drag the APC to court, seeking the cancellation of the primary and even asking the court to declare the SDP candidate winner if he could not be installed.

"It is a fact that Kayode Ojo initiated legal proceedings against the APC in 2022, seeking the annulment of the APC primary election in order for the SDP candidate in the aforementioned general election to be proclaimed the victor, should the court be unable to declare him the winner of the primary election he chose to boycott", says a party who preferred to remain anonymous. No man of conscience would come back in 2025 to seek to use the same platform after denigrating it that much a few years back, he stressed. 

Stakeholders insist that such moves amounted to working against the collective interest of the party. To them, it is baffling that a man who once sought to undermine the party’s victory could now turn around to present himself as a loyal aspirant for the party’s ticket. 

The stakeholders argue that, having lost his case up to the Supreme Court, Ojo never returned to the party leadership to seek reconciliation or express remorse for his actions, yet he is now attempting to reinvent himself as a committed progressive.

Had the SDP candidate been declared the winner as part of Kayode Ojo's petitions to the court, would he now return to the same APC to vie for the 2026 election? They queried. 

Many party elders believe his ambition is driven more by opportunism than by genuine service, warning that Ekiti cannot afford to entrust its future to a politician whose commitment wavers with every election cycle. 

While pointing out that some of his newfound supporters were the same elements who openly backed opposition candidates in 2022, they questioned the sincerity of their sudden interest in Ojo’s candidacy.

For a state that has begun to experience stability and people-centered governance under Governor Oyebanji, the stakeholders contend that a return to the kind of political inconsistency represented by Ojo would amount to a step backward. 

They reaffirmed that Ekiti APC has spoken clearly in its support for continuity and stability, and that the unity being enjoyed in the party should not be jeopardized by individuals with questionable loyalty.

According to them, the debate goes beyond political ambition as they emphasize trust, credibility, and alignment with the party’s vision as key determinants, adding that on that basis, Ojo has consistently failed the test.

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Parents Jubilate as Oyebanji Administration Eases Burden with Ban on Costly Graduation Ceremonies

Ado-Ekiti 

September 19, 2025 

Parents across Ekiti State have expressed joy and gratitude to Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji following the state government’s decision to ban expensive graduation ceremonies in kindergarten, nursery, primary, and secondary schools.

The new policy, announced in a circular signed by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mr. Mike Omolayo, takes effect from the 2025/2026 academic session. 

The step, according to the circular, was taken to save parents from undue financial pressure and curb excesses associated with such ceremonies.

The circular further noted that the government will sustain the once-in-six-years book review for primary schools, while extending the secondary school review cycle from once in three years to once in four years. Parents were also encouraged to allow siblings to reuse textbooks that remain in good condition.

Reacting to the development, parents described the move as a huge relief. Mrs. Dupe Akinyemi, a mother of three in Ikere-Ekiti, said: “Governor Oyebanji has lifted a big weight off parents. These ceremonies were becoming a burden. This government is truly listening to the people.”

Similarly, Mr. Femi Ajayi from Ado-Ekiti commended the policy, noting that it will restore moderation to schools: “Before now, some schools turned graduation into carnival-like events, forcing parents to spend unnecessarily. This decision proves that Oyebanji’s administration is people-centered.”

With this action, the Oyebanji administration has once again demonstrated its commitment to policies that directly touch the lives of ordinary citizens, earning the gratitude and jubilation of parents across the state.

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