LP Picks Olajuyin as Ekiti Guber Candidate

The Labour Party (LP) in Ekiti State has affirmed Professor Oyebanji Olajuyin as its standard-bearer for the June 20, 2026 governorship election.

Olajuyin, a renowned medical expert from Ikere-Ekiti in the southern part of the state, emerged through a consensus arrangement at the party’s primary held on Saturday.

LP State Chairman, Odunayo Okunade, said the exercise followed due process and was witnessed by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, and party leaders.

He described Olajuyin as “a seasoned professional with the capacity to drive the transformation Ekiti people have long desired,” adding that the peaceful conduct of the primary reflected the unity and discipline within the Labour Party.

“The transparent and violence-free process shows that the future of Ekiti is secure under the LP,” Okunade said.

He thanked INEC, the Department of State Services (DSS), the police, and the media for their support during the exercise, while pledging total loyalty of the party’s leadership and members to the candidate.

In his acceptance speech, Olajuyin hailed his emergence as a reflection of the party’s readiness to take charge of the state in 2026.

“The Labour Party has demonstrated maturity and readiness to provide purposeful leadership for Ekiti people,” he said, urging members to close ranks and work for the party’s victory.

Other prominent contenders in the 2026 governorship race include the incumbent Governor Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC); former High Commissioner to Canada, Dare Bejide of the African Democratic Congress (ADC); Dr. Wole Oluyede of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); Engineer David Bankole of the Social Democratic Party (SDP); Mr. Blessing Abegunde of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP); and philanthropist Opeyemi Falegan of the Accord Party.

INEC has scheduled October 20 to November 10, 2025, for party primaries, while January 12, 2026, remains the deadline for submission of candidates. The final list will be published on January 19, 2026.

The election winner will be sworn in on October 16, 2026, following the expiration of Governor Oyebanji’s tenure on October 15.