APC Governors Vow Landslide for Oyebanji as ‘Stepping Stone’ for Tinubu’s Re-election; Uzodinma Declares June Poll the Ultimate Test for ‘Renewed Hope’

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has shifted its machinery into high gear, identifying the upcoming Ekiti State governorship election as the foundational “stepping stone” for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 reelection victory. Following a strategic summit at the Presidential Villa, governors elected on the party’s platform emerged with a unified declaration: the June 20, 2026, poll is no longer just a local contest, but a national referendum on the President’s performance.

Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, Senator Hope Uzodinma, who led the delegation to the State House, emphasized that the party is leaving nothing to chance. He noted that the re-election of Governor Biodun Oyebanji is the first major hurdle in a coordinated effort to secure the “political trenches” ahead of the 2027 general elections. “Ekiti is the gateway,” Uzodinma told reporters. “A resounding victory in June will not only affirm Governor Oyebanji’s excellent work but will serve as a clear signal that the opposition’s talk of a ‘mega-coalition’ is nothing but a house of cards.”

The meeting, which included key power brokers like Governors Babagana Zulum, Inuwa Yahaya, and the man of the hour, Biodun Oyebanji, focused on integrating federal and state-level achievements into a single campaign narrative. The governors argued that the President’s recent milestones including the 6,000MW power peak and the stabilization of external reserves provide a “scorecard” that the opposition cannot match. By delivering a “tsunami” of votes in Ekiti, the APC hopes to create a psychological advantage that carries through to the Osun governorship election later this year.

Governor Oyebanji, who has been affirmed as the party’s sole candidate, expressed confidence that the people of Ekiti would lead the charge in validating the President’s mandate. “We are breaking the succession jinx in Ekiti to prove that consistency and loyalty to the center yield dividends,” Oyebanji remarked. The APC is also reportedly fine-tuning its primary timetable and discussing the redeployment of outgoing second-term governors to the Senate to ensure a “total sweep” of the 2027 cycle.

As the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) begins the final countdown to the June poll, the message from Abuja is one of institutional synergy. For the ruling party, the Ekiti election is the first chapter of the 2027 script a strategic “power play” intended to show that while the opposition is still debating structures, the APC is already delivering results on the ground.