The Chairman of the African Democratic Congress in Ekiti State, Ilesanmi Omolayo, has assured party members of a free, fair and transparent primary election to select the party’s candidate for the June 20, 2026, governorship election.
Omolayo said the primaries, scheduled for November 6, would be conducted through the direct mode across the 177 wards in the state.
He appealed to security agencies to ensure adequate protection for the party, its members, and the venues to prevent a repeat of the October 21 attack by hoodlums on the ADC state headquarters.
It was earlier reported that on October 21, hoodlums set fire to the ADC secretariat in Ado Ekiti and returned to launch further attacks three times that same day, injuring party members and destroying properties in an attempt to disrupt the affirmation of executives at various levels.
Speaking in an interview, Omolayo disclosed that five members — former Deputy Governor Prof. Kolapo Olusola-Eleka; former High Commissioner to Canada, Dare Bejide; philanthropist and businessman, Apostle David Adesua; ICT expert, Emmanuel Oluwayose; and legal practitioner, Femi Adegbite — had obtained the party’s nomination and expression of interest forms ahead of the primaries.
He said, “Five aspirants have obtained the Ekiti ADC nomination forms. All of them are preparing for the primary election. Screening for the five aspirants will hold on November 3, while the primary election is slated for November 6.
“The State Working Committee has met and reviewed our preparations. We are ready to provide a level playing field for all aspirants. We do not have any preferential candidates; all of them are competent and capable.
“The aspirants have also agreed to work together with whoever emerges as the party’s candidate. They have resolved to pull resources together to support the eventual winner. In the ADC, we operate as one family, and we are confident there will be no post-primary crisis.”
Omolayo, expressing hope for a hitch-free exercise, said, “I want to draw the attention of security agencies to our primary election because we do not want a repeat of what happened on October 21.
“We have notified the security agencies more than a week before the exercise, and we believe that is sufficient time for them to provide adequate security for us.”
The ADC chairman said the number of aspirants reflected the party’s openness.
“Having five aspirants in a new coalition like ours shows that our doors are open to everyone willing to contest. We are going for direct primaries.
“We are promising a primary election that will serve as a model for other political parties to emulate. We want the whole world to see our process and know that we are transparent and fair to all aspirants,” Omolayo said.
He recalled that following the October 21 attack, the party had reaffirmed its determination to win the June 20, 2026, governorship election in Ekiti State.
“They wanted to intimidate us. They are worried by the growing popularity and spread of our party within a short time; that is why they attacked us even before the campaigns started.
The security agencies have a lot to do to ensure our safety,” Omolayo had said.
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