Former Ekiti State governor Ayodele Fayose has stirred controversy within his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, after declaring that the PDP is dead in Ekiti and that its governorship aspirants are only deceiving themselves.
Speaking with journalists in Ado Ekiti, Fayose said the party had completely lost its structure and direction in the state. According to him, there is nothing left of the PDP in Ekiti as its meetings and core activities have all vanished.
“Let us be honest, where is the PDP in Ekiti today?” he asked. “Where are the members and where are the meetings being held? The party is lifeless, just like what is happening at the national level. If there was even a ray of hope, it could be revived, but there is none. The PDP is gone in Ekiti.”
He added that the few governorship aspirants still struggling for the party’s ticket were merely wasting their time. “There are four of them, but the worst kind of failure is self-deception. Most of them are people I brought up, and I can tell you that the PDP as it stands today is dead in this state. I cannot speak for tomorrow, but for now, there is nothing left,” he said.
Despite his criticism of his party, Fayose praised Governor Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress, describing him as a performer who deserves another term. “Oyebanji is doing well, and I have said that many times without apologies. I am not a member of the APC and will never be, but I will not condemn what is good simply because I belong to another party,” he stated.
Fayose said Oyebanji’s leadership has brought visible progress to Ekiti and that he enjoys genuine support from the people. “Oyebanji is the man Ekiti people want until 2030. I stand by that. We must be honest about what we see, and the truth is that Oyebanji remains our governor,” he added.
The Independent National Electoral Commission has fixed June 20, 2026 for the Ekiti governorship election. While Oyebanji will contest on the platform of the APC, the PDP has four aspirants seeking its ticket. They are Dr Wole Oluyede, Mrs Funmi Ogun, Mr Funso Ayeni and Peter Obafemi.
Reacting to Fayose’s comments, the PDP Chairman in Ekiti State, Tunji Odeyemi, dismissed the former governor’s remarks as unfortunate, insisting that the party remains strong and ready for the election.
“It is unfortunate that a former governor would speak that way about the party that made him governor twice. He is not God, and the party will prove him wrong,” Odeyemi said. “The four aspirants we have are credible people. Our primary will be transparent, and the PDP will bounce back stronger. We will surprise Fayose and win the next election.”
As the political atmosphere builds ahead of the 2026 election, the PDP, APC and African Democratic Congress remain the dominant parties contending for control of the state.
