The All Progressives Congress (APC) has disqualified prominent Ekiti State governorship aspirant Kayode Ojo from participating in the party's primary election scheduled for October 27, citing failures to meet constitutional and electoral requirements, in a move that has sparked accusations of political maneuvering ahead of the 2026 race.
The decision was announced by APC Deputy National Publicity Secretary Duro Meseko following the party's 179th National Working Committee (NWC) meeting at its Abuja headquarters on Thursday.
Meseko explained that Ojo, alongside Abimbola Olajumoke-Olawumi, was barred after the NWC reviewed a screening committee report, which flagged irregularities in their nomination filings.
"The disqualification of these two aspirants was predicated on the fact that their filings did not conform to the provisions of the APC Constitution and the Electoral Act," Meseko told journalists.
Ojo, a businessman and Pro-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), had received provisional clearance from the screening committee pending NWC approval, but petitions alleging he failed to secure the required number of valid nominators per local government area, violating Article 9(1) of the APC Constitution and Section 177(c) of the 1999 Constitution sealed his fate.
The screening panel had earlier cleared incumbent Governor Abiodun Oyebanji, seeking re-election, and Atinuke Omolayo, narrowing the field to two candidates for the primary.
The timing of the disqualification amplified tensions, coming just hours after Ojo led thousands of supporters in a massive rally across Ekiti's 16 local government areas, effectively shutting down Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.
Ojo, a veteran political figure who contested the 2018 governorship under the APC banner, has long been vocal against the party's state structures, accusing them of mismanagement and anti-party activities.
His supporters decried the move as "politically motivated," with social media buzzing about potential internal divisions that could mirror past factional crises in Ekiti APC politics.
"This is more about party stability than technical screening issues," a party source confided, suggesting the NWC aimed to prevent a contentious primary that could weaken the APC's hold on the state ahead of the July 20, 2026, election.
