A former Governor of Ekiti State, Olusegun Oni, has formally defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, as he registered with the party at his Ifaki Ekiti country home on Sunday.
This development came barely 24 hours after the Governor of Ekiti State, Biodun Oyebanji, revalidated his membership of the party and called on party faithful across the state to embark on aggressive mobilisation drives to fortify the APC at the local level.
Oni became Ekiti governor in 2007 and ruled until 2010 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party but was the 2022 governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), where he came second, trailing Governor Oyebanji, who emerged victorious in the poll.
Speaking on Oni’s registration with the party, the Coordinator of the APC e-registration exercise in Ekiti State, Gold Adesola Adedayo, said this marked a major boost for the party’s electronic registration programme in Ekiti’s progressive family.
Adedayo, a serving Commissioner for Youth Development, described the former governor as a resourceful and popular leader who will add tremendous value to the party and strengthen its winning streak.
The commissioner hailed Oni’s formal defection to the APC and described it as a masterstroke as well as a catalyst that will bolster Governor Oyebanji’s victory in the June 20, 2026, governorship poll.
Adedayo said Oni’s defection from the Social Democratic Party to the APC marked a seismic shift in the political realignment ahead of the 2026 Ekiti poll and the 2027 general elections, congratulating the APC family on the huge accomplishment.
“Today, we registered former Governor Segun Oni as a member of our great party. This significant political move will help the ongoing online registration of our members in Ekiti.
“When it comes to grassroots politics, former Governor Oni is a respected individual in this regard. He is well loved at the grassroots, and the intention of our registration is to attract more people into the APC. Having an individual like the former governor with us at this crucial time is a big plus.
“We are happy with the pace at which we are going in the online registration exercise, and we know that the APC is poised for greatness and victory as we look ahead to future elections.”
The commissioner urged party leaders not to rest or be complacent in their mobilisation efforts, saying more concerted actions are required to strengthen the party’s numerical strength at the grassroots.
