Ekiti 2026: APC rationalises Kayode Ojo’s disqualification

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has offered reasons why one of its candidates for the 2026 governorship election in Ekiti State, Engr. Kayode Ojo, was disqualified from taking part in the primary election.

The party’s National Working Committee (NWC) took the decision at its 179th meeting on Thursday in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

This followed reports of its screening committee set up to vet aspirants for the race.

Ojo’s disqualification came weeks after another aspirant, Olajumoke Olawuni, was dropped from the race.

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The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that with the development, only the incumbent, Governor Biodun Oyebanji, and Omolayo Oluremi have been cleared to participate in the primaries slated for October 27, 2025.

Ojo, a businessman and long-time political player in Ekiti State, had often been critical about the APC and had in the past challenged its structures in the state.

Duro Meseko, the party’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, while speaking with newsmen after the NWC meeting, said the decision was part of efforts to ensure discipline, cohesion, and stability within the party.

Meseko said the NWC, after reviewing the party’s Ekiti State Governorship Screening Committee report, cleared Oyebanji and Omolayo to contest its primary election.

He added that Ojo and Abimbola Olawumi were disqualified for failing to meet the party’s constitutional and Electoral Act requirements.

He said: “The disqualification of the two aspirants was predicated on the fact that their filings did not conform with the provisions of the APC Constitution and the Electoral Act.

“The NWC deliberated extensively on the screening report and reached this decision in the interest of due process and fairness.”

NAN reports that Ojo, who also serves as the Pro-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), was earlier given a provisional clearance by the screening committee pending the NWC’s final verdict.

This followed petitions alleging irregularities in his nomination process.

The committee had flagged his failure to secure the required number of valid nominators per Local Government Area as stipulated by Article 9(1) of the APC Constitution and Section 177(c) of the amended 1999 Constitution.