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From Priscilla Ediare, Ado-Ekiti
The deputy governorship candidate of the Accord Party (AP) for the 20 June 2026 governorship election in Ekiti State, Akoni Bayode Omoyeni, has withdrawn from the race and formally collapsed the party’s structure into the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), declaring support for the PDP governorship candidate, Dr Wole Oluyede.
Omoyeni officially announced his resignation from the Accord Party on Monday in Ikere-Ekiti, where he, AP executives and his supporters were received by PDP leaders and presented with the party’s flag.
Speaking with journalists shortly after joining the PDP, the former Accord Party deputy governorship candidate said his decision followed extensive consultations and a critical assessment of his former party’s preparedness for the election.
He described Oluyede as the most credible and prepared candidate in the governorship race, citing his experience, leadership qualities and administrative capacity.
“After careful consideration, I believe the candidate to support is Dr Oluwole Oluyede.
“Dr Oluyede has the pedigree, the experience, and the capacity to lead Ekiti out of its current state. He understands governance, development, and possesses the network and discipline required to organise Ekiti for victory and service.”
Explaining the reasons behind his withdrawal from the Accord Party, Omoyeni said the party lacked the political structure and organisational strength required to prosecute and win a statewide election.
“Today, I stand before you not with anger, but with clarity, not with bitterness, but with sacrifice. I am here to formally announce my withdrawal as the deputy governorship candidate of the Accord Party for the 20 June 2026 election.
“This decision was not made in haste. It came after deep reflection, wide consultations, and a careful assessment of the current state of the party structure in Ekiti State.
“I accepted this nomination because I believed we could build a credible alternative for Ekiti. I believed we could run a campaign rooted in merit, discipline, and service.
“But politics without structure is noise. A campaign without organisation is a journey to nowhere. After carefully evaluating the party structure across the 16 Local Government Areas, it became clear to me that we are not organised, mobilised, or prepared to contest and win this election.”
The former AP chieftain declared that he could no longer remain in a political platform he considered unprepared for governance and electoral victory.
“I will not lend my name, my reputation, and the trust of the people of Ikere, Ekiti South Senatorial District, and Ekiti State to a process that lacks the discipline to succeed.
“To continue would amount to deceiving the people, and I refuse to do that.”
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Omoyeni also announced that he was bringing the Accord Party structure and supporters across the 16 local government areas in the state into the PDP ahead of the governorship poll.
“Today is historic, and I have come to realise that Oluyede is the right candidate, and he is more ready for the contest than what we have where we are coming from.
“The Accord Party is not ready to win the election. The candidate of the Accord Party is not ready to win the election. The party lacks structure, and I have come to the PDP today with the structure of the Accord Party.
“I have come with people across the local governments to join the winning party. All the executives of the Accord Party are also here.”
Omoyeni urged his supporters across Ikere-Ekiti, Ekiti South Senatorial District and the state at large to support the PDP candidate in the 20 June governorship election.
“My people of Ikere have always stood for progress and courage. I cannot lead them into a race we are not prepared to finish. I cannot ask Ekiti South to waste its votes on a structure that is not ready,” he added.
He stressed that Ekiti people could not afford another cycle of failed leadership and political experimentation.
“Time is the most valuable resource we have. It is too precious to waste on a journey with no destination. Ekiti cannot afford another four years of trial and error. The people are tired, the youths are leaving, and the economy is stagnant. We need a candidate who is ready, capable, and has a clear plan to rescue this state,” Omoyeni stated.
Appealing directly to voters, he urged residents not to waste their votes on unprepared political platforms.
“To the people of Ekiti: do not waste your votes. Do not waste your time. Vote for competence. Vote for readiness. Vote for a future you can believe in. Vote for a candidate who is prepared to win the 20 June election and ready to serve,” he said.
Reacting to the development, the PDP deputy governorship candidate, Hon. Deji Ogunsakin, assured the defectors of equal opportunities within the party, describing the collapse of the Accord Party structure into the PDP as evidence that Ekiti people were rallying behind the opposition ahead of the governorship election.
“I congratulate Omoyeni; he has seen the light and it proves that everybody wants to come into the PDP. PDP is home for all and there will be no discrimination at all,” Ogunsakin said.
He added that the PDP remained committed to inclusiveness, noting that the party had twice produced governors from the southern part of the state in the last 30 years.
According to him, the increasing wave of defections into the PDP reflected the desire of the Ekiti people for political change and development.
Meanwhile, the Action Democratic Party (ADP) in the state was also reported to have collapsed its structure into the PDP in a move expected to further strengthen Oluyede’s campaign ahead of the 20 June governorship election in Ekiti State.
