The All Progressives Congress (APC) has disqualified a major contender in the forthcoming Ekiti State governorship election, Kayode Ojo, and dissolved its Enugu State Executive Committee following persistent internal crises.
The decision, announced after the 179th meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC) held at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja, was described as part of efforts to “restore order, discipline, and stability” within the party ahead of key elections.
Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Durosimi Meseko, explained that Ojo’s disqualification stemmed from irregularities in his nomination process, including failure to meet the constitutional requirements of valid nominators as outlined in Article 9(1) of the APC Constitution and Section 177(c) of the 1999 Constitution.
Following a detailed review of the screening panel’s report, only Governor Biodun Oyebanji and Atinuke Oluremi Omolayo were cleared to contest the party’s October 27 governorship primary. The disqualification of Ojo, who also serves as Pro-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), effectively ends his bid for the Ekiti APC ticket, positioning Oyebanji as the leading candidate for re-election.
In Enugu State, the NWC also announced the dissolution of the state’s working committee over “prolonged factionalisation” and internal disunity. Meseko clarified that the decision was not politically motivated but aimed at repositioning the chapter. A seven-member caretaker committee has been appointed to steer party affairs pending reorganization.
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