Ekiti 2026 governorship race heats up as PDP’s Fayose blasts Oyebanji over poor performance, accusing APC of deception and failed governance
Ekiti 2026 governorship race has taken an emotional turn as Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) aspirant Emmanuel Fayose launched a scathing attack on Governor Biodun Oyebanji.
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Fayose accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) governor of underperformance, wasteful spending, and leading the state into poverty and hunger.
Speaking on Saturday in Ado Ekiti during a tour of Ado and Irepodun/Ifelodun local government areas, Fayose challenged the residents to question the utilisation of monthly federal allocations, which he claimed had quadrupled under Oyebanji’s administration.
“The question Ekiti people should continue to ask Oyebanji is – what has he been doing with the monthly allocation coming to the state?” he asked. “This government has not done well at all. It has performed below expectations.”
Fayose accused the governor of focusing on empty political endorsements rather than delivering development projects.
“There is hunger and poverty in the land. People are suffering. What is coming in from the Federal Government as allocation now is almost four times what Ekiti used to get.
There is nothing to show for all the money this government has been collecting,” he said.
With less than a year before campaigns formally begin, Fayose’s early shots mark a fierce opening in what is expected to be a highly competitive election season.
His criticisms, particularly over economic management and infrastructural development, seem targeted at undermining Oyebanji’s credibility before the electorate.
“There is nothing to point at as development. No project has been commissioned and this is almost three years in office. Ekiti is not developing under Oyebanji’s leadership,” Fayose stated.
He dismissed the governor’s second-term endorsements as superficial and deceptive. “These endorsements are nothing but jamborees meant to deceive people. They will not save him from defeat,” he declared.
In a swift response, APC Publicity Secretary Segun Dipe dismissed the allegations as baseless and politically motivated. He described Fayose as an “attention seeker” driven by ambition and misinformation.
“Fayose is an attention seeker. This is why anybody will start making such noise and unnecessary allegations,” Dipe said.
“We are expecting even more of this. What we can say is that he cannot be right and the entire people of Ekiti are wrong.”
Dipe insisted that Governor Oyebanji’s achievements are visible and widely recognised across the state.
“The entire people of Ekiti have made up their mind, and they have seen and heard about the good works that Governor Oyebanji is doing in Ekiti. So, you cannot convince them against Oyebanji again. It is too late in the day.”
He also urged Fayose to undertake his own tour and see the developments himself. “He should endeavour to go around, talk to people and see for himself what the governor is doing.
If, however, he cannot see anything, we will say that such a situation is too unfortunate for a blind man of his own nature.”
The clash between Fayose and Oyebanji reflects deeper political tensions as the Ekiti 2026 governorship race begins to gather momentum.
Political watchers say the next few months will shape the narrative as both camps attempt to consolidate support at grassroots level.
Fayose, a long-time political figure in Ekiti State, is banking on public discontent to fuel his return. Oyebanji, on the other hand, seeks to defend his record amid growing scrutiny.
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As the rhetoric heats up, voters in Ekiti are once again positioned to play a decisive role in the future of their state.
