His Excellency is one of those people who make my dislike for the APC very difficult
To me, Oyebanji is like that proverbial man in Sodom that Abraham, or was it Lot, was asking God – if there is one good man in Sodom, would you save it?
Oyebanji is a good man; he is my friend, and he has been good and will still be suitable for Ekiti
His tenure has witnessed significant progress in terms of efficiency, transparency and average infrastructural development.
His ability to build bridges and feel the pulse of the people as a homegrown Governor has made his tenure quite successful
But in recent times, and as we move towards the elections, he seems to be gently unravelling if we are to take into consideration feelers that we are getting from Ado Ekiti
Intolerance to opposition, fractional primaries, unsure steps, especially with the sudden dissolution of the cabinet, which was driven by political expediency and an unusual penchant to hibernate more in Abuja than in Ado Ekiti
Opposition, both within his party and out, remains very fierce
A descendant of an iconic Ekiti man whose forebear made a significant sacrifice for Nigeria reached out last night
Duke, your friend is no longer suitable for Ekiti. He has been throwing opposition into jail and has been very intolerant of opposing views
Aghhh. I had been hearing these stories and wondered about the penchant for jailing discerning voices by the Ekiti people
Ekiti is nationally notorious for this, and the Afe/Farotimi matter didn’t help their image in this regard.
Furthermore, I have also heard from the same source, that a lot of Kayode Ojo’s people are still in one form of police problem or the other and that a lot of APC members were disebfranchised so they could not vote during the primaries and may be ‘this is why APC has not announced him their candidate as a result of all the court cases on his head’.
Now, let me state that my source is an avowed supporter of Kayode Ojo, and as such, I’m taking her submission with a massive bowl of salt
But reports in the media seem to validate some of her assertions, hence my sadness
Oyebanji’s policy of romancing former Governors is brilliant as it corals support across all lines in the state, but it also comes with some dislocation, like the cabinet dissolution, as previously mentioned
All of these are expected in an election period, especially in a state like Ekiti, where opportunities for economic development are literally nonexistent outside the government.
This makes the push towards control at the centre very fierce and engaging
Oyebanji is a good man. I know one when I see one
He is kind, gentle, and very relatable. Easy to approach and a good listener who has the overall best interest of Ekiti in mind
A quick assessment of his opponents throws up a band of opportunists, job men and man-Friday’s representing interests very far from that of the Ekiti people
It is in this regard that I dare to endorse Biodun Oyebanji in this election on the condition that he eschews violence, intolerance and approaches this election with a statesman’s apptitude which would make him put the overall interest of the Ekiti people above self-interest
Asking this from an APC man, I agree, is like squeezing water out of a rock, but remember Oyebanji remains a very good man despite the crowd he mixes with.
I wish the Ekiti people well on this journey
I know some will feel like beating me now. It’s ok, they can come
Thanks
Duke of Shomolu
Last modified: January 13, 2026
