Arise Hails Oyebanji’s Re-election, Calls for APC Unity Ahead of 2027  

By Joseph Sunday 

All Progressives Congress chieftain and former lawmaker, Sen. Ayo Arise, has congratulated Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji on his victory in the June 20, 2026 governorship election.

In a statement released to journalists in Ado Ekiti on Sunday, Arise said Oyebanji’s re-election reflects the governor’s track record and commitment to the state’s development.

He praised Ekiti voters for turning out to back Oyebanji and Deputy Governor Monisade Afuye for a second term, noting that the mandate would enable further delivery of infrastructure and social services across the state.

“The continuity of Governor Oyebanji’s administration will deepen transformation in roads, education, health, agriculture, and the civil service,” Arise said.

Arise, who is eyeing the Ekiti North Senatorial seat in 2027, also urged unity, justice, and fairness within the APC in Ekiti as the party prepares for the next general elections.

Earlier, while speaking to reporters after voting at his polling unit in Oye Ward 1, Arise described the exercise as “very peaceful, very fair, very straightforward,” adding that there was no intimidation or vote-buying witnessed during his time at the unit. 

He noted that results from his unit showed the APC leading comfortably, with 129 votes to PDP’s 23 and ADC’s 10 — a pattern he said was consistent with past elections in the area.

On the conduct of INEC, Arise commended officials for professionalism, recounting that he briefly left the polling unit to retrieve his voter card after realizing he had forgotten his wallet, and returned to vote without incident. 

Addressing questions about a previous court filing, Arise said he would only consider stepping down on the matter at the instance of President Bola Tinubu, stressing that “the President doesn’t disappoint” when he makes commitments.