The Ekiti State Government has dismissed claims that Governor Biodun Oyebanji and several state officials are planning to defect from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), calling the report “false and misleading”.

The allegations claimed that the former governor of the state, Dr Kayode Fayemi, is leading a group of APC members, among them Governor Oyebanji, into ADC, the new opposition coalition party.

But, in a statement signed by Olayinka Oyebode, Special Adviser on Media to the Governor, on Tuesday, the state government described the report as a fabrication by “unscrupulous individuals” as “another tissue of lies” aimed at causing disunity within the APC and creating tension between Governor Oyebanji and President Bola Tinubu.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Governor Biodun Oyebanji and the public office holders mentioned in the report, remain firmly rooted in the All Progressives Congress (APC) and have no link, neither do they have any plan whatsoever to join the ADC,” the government said.

“While Dr Fayemi and other leaders of the party mentioned in the report are eminently qualified to defend themselves, it is on record that Dr Fayemi attended the recent APC Caucus meeting held in Iyin-Ekiti, where the caucus endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Oyebanji for a second term, a decision that was widely published in the print, broadcast and online media.

“We are aware of a deliberate attempt by some mischief makers to weaponise Governor Oyebanji’s association with Dr Fayemi in a bid to cause a rift between the Governor and President Tinubu. Unfortunately for these jesters, Mr President is a strategic politician who can see through their shenanigans and hidden agenda.”

Governor Oyebanji, according to the state government, had since the inception of the Fourth Republic in 1999, remained in the progressive fold, adding that the governor “is one of the very few that has never moved out of the progressive movement in Ekiti State.”

The state government, however, urged residents of the state to ignore the allegations sponsored by “some desperate politicians” interested in contesting the governorship election in the state, noting that while these desperate politicians have no clue about how to market their candidature to the Ekiti electorate or connect with the people, they have resorted to attacking the Government on social media and heaping up every unimaginable and unintelligent lies against the Governor in order to mask their frustrations.

It also noted that now that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the date for the primary election, it expects “some desperate politicians” to be bold enough to come out and sell their candidature to party members and Ekitikete rather than seeking an ignoble way to gate crash.

The governorship election in Ekiti State is scheduled for Saturday, June 20, 2026, while that of Osun State will be held on Saturday, August 8, 2026.

INEC had disclosed that the tenure of the current governors, elected in June and July 2022, will expire in 2026, necessitating the early release of the election timetable and schedule of activities.