Against a backdrop of rising expectations and political rivalry, ABIODUN NEJO tells the story of Ekiti’s governorship race, where competing visions, sharp criticisms, and claims of transformation are shaping the choice before voters
Although only about four of the 13 political parties fielding candidates for the June 20 governorship election in Ekiti State have maintained visible campaign presence through posters, billboards, and party activities, all the contenders are united in their promise to take the state to greater heights.
Candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, Dr Wole Oluyede; African Democratic Congress, Dare Bejide; and Accord Party, Opeyemi Falegan, have consistently pledged to outperform the incumbent All Progressives Congress administration.
In contrast, the APC candidate and incumbent governor, Biodun Oyebanji, is banking on his record in office, assuring voters that a second term would allow him to consolidate on existing achievements and expand service delivery across the state.
Oyebanji highlights his administration’s programmes, projects, and policies across key sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, education, infrastructure, human capital development, and social welfare, which he says have uplifted the state and improved residents’ lives.
However, opposition parties — PDP, ADC, and Accord — have dismissed the Oyebanji administration as underperforming, insisting that there has been no meaningful development in the state over the past three and a half years.
The PDP candidate, Oluyede, has promised that, if elected, his administration would prioritise infrastructure development, ensure prompt payment of gratuities, provide affordable healthcare, and create jobs.
He argued that Oyebanji does not deserve a second term, alleging poor performance in his first tenure.
“The APC-led administration has failed to deliver meaningful development despite having resources at its disposal,” he said.
Similarly, ADC candidate, Bejide, has assured voters of improved infrastructure and accelerated rural development to enhance living standards. “We will prioritise people’s welfare, with a focus on electricity, quality healthcare delivery, education, and food security,” he said.
Bejide also criticised the Oyebanji administration for alleged neglect of critical sectors, accusing it of paying insufficient attention to grassroots development and failing to meet the needs of Ekiti people.
Also, the Accord Party standard bearer, Opeyemi Falegan, who said he is in the governorship race to win and form the next government, pledged to deliver better living conditions for the people.
“My ambition to govern Ekiti State is to drive development and improve citizens’ welfare,” he said.
Falegan, however, accused the incumbent APC administration of economic mismanagement, alleging that “the state government under Oyebanji has not justified the huge federal allocations to the state with corresponding development.”
But the APC State Publicity Secretary, Segun Dipe, dismissed the allegations as typical opposition rhetoric, saying they stem from frustration over what he described as the administration’s “unprecedented and landmark achievements” already evident across the state.
“Governor Oyebanji has done well and deserves a second term, having developed the state across sectors and positively impacted lives. His achievements are visible, and Ekiti people can see how the state’s resources are being utilised for their benefit,” Dipe said.
Meanwhile, some residents and concerned Nigerians who spoke across different communities during a recent three-day tour of projects spanning the three senatorial districts expressed the view that Oyebanji had tangible achievements to justify his re-election bid.
During the tour, a team of independent assessors inspected several projects, including the Skill Acquisition Centre for Persons with Disabilities, the Adire Hub, the Broiler Hub Technical Centre, the 18km Ring Road Phase 1, and the Omisanjana–Ben Folarin–Aso Road.
Other projects visited included the Ekiti Cargo Airport, the 1.2km Okeyinmi–Ijigbo flyover, BOVAS-Spotless Road, Ajebamidele–Omisanjana Road, Ikere–Igbara Odo Road, Ido–Ipere Road, Ise–Agbado Road, Igbemo–Ikole Road, and Ikole–Isinbode Road, among others.
The team also inspected the ongoing 80-bed multi-purpose medical facility at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, as well as newly revamped general hospitals in Ilupeju, Ayede, Iye, Ifaki, and Okemesi, alongside upgraded primary healthcare centres, school projects, and the Ikogosi Warm Springs, a globally recognised tourist destination.
Prominent Nigerian actors and actresses who joined the tour expressed satisfaction with both completed and ongoing projects, giving the governor their endorsement and noting that the visible developments position him strongly for a second term.
The delegation, led by Yomi Fash-Lanso, included Wumi Ajiboye, Tayo Babatunde (popularly known as Baba Tee), Adeniyi Johnson, Dayo Amusa, and Doyin Kukoyi, among others.
Fash-Lanso said the tour revealed a picture of developmental governance, contrary to claims in some quarters that the administration had underperformed.
“The state has witnessed transformation through people-centred policies and the execution of tangible, impactful projects,” he said.
“We inspected developments across road infrastructure, healthcare, agriculture, social investment, and tourism, including the agro-allied airport. What we saw clearly reflects a government prioritising development and the welfare of its people.”
The actor particularly commended the spread of projects across the 16 local government areas of Ekiti, describing it as “a deliberate effort by the Oyebanji administration to ensure that both urban and rural communities benefit from the dividends of good governance.”
“It is against this backdrop that we call on Ekiti residents to sustain their support for the governor. It is very clear that continuity of his administration will ensure the consolidation of ongoing projects and further accelerate development across the state,” he added.
Residents — including traditional rulers, persons with disabilities, road users, farmers, students, and health workers — who spoke at various locations during the three-day tour, also shared their perspectives.
For instance, a farmer in Igbemo Ekiti, Adeyemi Olaniyan, said the reconstruction of the 19.8km Igbemo–Isaba–Ikoyi–Ikole Road, which had long been abandoned, had significantly improved farmers’ access to their farms and eased the transportation of produce.
While expressing farmers’ support for Oyebanji’s re-election bid, Olaniyan called on the state government to establish cottage industries in the area to boost value addition and create employment opportunities for youths.
Speaking on the Ado Ekiti Ring Road Phase 1, a student, Abimbola Oyebade, noted that the road not only provides access to the Ekiti Agro-Allied International Cargo Airport but also links several tertiary institutions, thereby easing transportation challenges for students.
“It is a completely new road — there was none here before. Residents, including students, previously faced serious difficulties commuting to Iworoko or Ado Ekiti for daily activities. We appreciate this major intervention,” she said.
She added that although the airport is cargo-focused, the road would enhance agricultural development by enabling farmers in surrounding communities to transport produce more easily to the facility.
A commercial vehicle operator, Olumide Ayodele, also noted that the rehabilitation of intra-state road networks has significantly reduced travel time for motorists. He urged residents to support the governor’s re-election to sustain the progress.
“This is visible. We know what the state used to be and we can see what it is today. There has been real transformation through people-oriented policies and tangible development projects,” Ayodele said.
A traditional ruler, the Onisin of Isinbode Ekiti, Oba Akinyemi Adesoji, who spoke in his palace during an interaction with the team, commended Oyebanji for what he described as significant strides in infrastructure, social investment, healthcare, agriculture, and education. He noted that the administration’s projects have had far-reaching positive impacts on the lives of the people.
Oba Adesoji said the reconstruction of the Ikole–Isinbode Road had transformed his community, easing the movement of people and goods while boosting agricultural productivity and the local economy.
“The deplorable state of the road was indescribable before Governor Oyebanji intervened. Traveling from Isinbode to Ikole was torturous, with high transport fares. Farmers struggled to move their produce and were often forced to sell at low prices. But this reconstruction has changed all that,” the monarch said.
He also praised the governor for rehabilitating and equipping the community’s comprehensive health centre, describing it as a lifesaver, and called for continued support for Oyebanji’s second-term bid to sustain development across the state.
Corroborating the improvements in the health sector, a medical doctor at General Hospital, Ayede Ekiti, Dr Ruth Enekai, told the team she was pleasantly surprised by the level of facilities available upon her posting.
“I was surprised when I got here because I did not expect to find such modern equipment,” she said. “In terms of healthcare infrastructure and service delivery, the government has done a lot, especially at the secondary healthcare level.
“Without these facilities, residents would have to travel long distances, which means more stress and higher costs. The theatres are well-equipped, there is solar power for uninterrupted electricity, and the laboratories are functional. The governor deserves commendation for the improvements in healthcare delivery.”
Similarly, during the team’s visit to the Skill Acquisition Centre for Persons with Disabilities, Alhaja Folasade Ademola praised the administration’s efforts to empower PWDs and reduce dependence on handouts.
“The governor made it clear that he does not want persons with disabilities to be reduced to begging for food items. Instead, he wants us to acquire skills that can sustain us,” she said.
“That is the essence of this centre. In the last two years, about 130 PWDs have been trained in vocational skills such as tailoring, catering and hotel management, shoemaking, hairdressing, and cosmetology.
“While undergoing training, we also receive a monthly stipend of N25,000. This initiative has given us hope and dignity. We are grateful and will continue to support the governor’s second-term ambition.”
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