By Emmanuella Opara | November 15th, 2026
KEY POINTS
- Ekiti Governor Biodun Oyebanji urged residents to vote massively for President Bola Tinubu in the January 2027 election.
- He said Tinubu had supported the state and called on voters to double the votes secured during the last governorship election.
- A fundraising event for a new palace in Ikogosi-Ekiti generated N906m towards the N1bn project.
MAIN STORY
Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has called on residents to mobilise support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in January 2027, urging them to increase the votes the state delivered during the last governorship election.
Oyebanji made the appeal on Saturday at the 2026 Ikogosi Day celebration in his hometown, Ikogosi-Ekiti, where funds were also raised for the construction of a N1bn palace for the community’s traditional ruler.
The governor said Tinubu had provided considerable support to Ekiti State and described his continued leadership as important to sustaining the development recorded in the state.
He urged residents to turn out in large numbers for the presidential election scheduled for January 16, 2027.
“Let me also remind us that January 16 is the presidential election, and we must come out en masse to vote for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. He is a president who has assisted our state tremendously, and we must double the votes we secured during the governorship election for him,” Oyebanji said.
The governor also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to grassroots development, assuring communities across the state of continued government attention to initiatives aimed at improving living conditions.
On the palace project, Oyebanji said the state government did not contribute to the funds raised, adding that the donations were made directly to the community’s account.
He commended the event’s Chairman and Chief Launcher, Dr Tunji Olowolafe, Chancellor of Ekiti State University, for mobilising friends and associates across the country to support the project.
Olowolafe said the fundraising followed an invitation from the governor to serve as chairman and chief launcher of the event. He disclosed that the donations amounted to N906m and had been deposited in the community’s project account with a commercial bank.
He attributed the donors’ response to their confidence in Oyebanji’s leadership and commitment to community development.
Olowolafe also praised improvements in Ikogosi, particularly the development of the Ikogosi Warm Springs and other infrastructure projects over the past four years.
Oyebanji urged community leaders to ensure that the money raised was properly used for the palace construction. He expressed the hope that the project would be completed and inaugurated by the next Ikogosi Day celebration in 2027.
Speaking on behalf of the community’s Regent, the Asaoye of Ikogosi, Ayo Ademilua, thanked the governor for his contributions to the town’s development and described him as a worthy son of the community.
She also commended Olowolafe for mobilising funds for the palace project and urged residents to remain united in pursuing the community’s development.
Other dignitaries at the event included Deputy Governor Monisade Afuye, Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly Adeoye Aribasoye, and the governor’s Chief of Staff, Oyeniyi Adebayo.
THE ISSUES
Oyebanji’s appeal places Ekiti’s political support behind Tinubu’s re-election among the issues raised at the community celebration. His request that residents double the votes recorded during the governorship election signals an effort to turn the state’s previous electoral support into a stronger showing for the President in 2027.
The fundraising also highlights the role of private donors and community networks in financing local development projects. Although the target for the palace construction is N1bn, the N906m raised leaves a funding gap of N94m. Oyebanji said the state government did not contribute to the fundraising, while Olowolafe said the donations had been paid into the community’s project account.
WHAT’S BEING SAID
“On behalf of the Ikogosi community, we are extremely grateful to the Chairman and Chief Launcher, Dr Tunji Olowolafe, and his friends for what they have done for us. I am particularly grateful that he informed us that he reached out to his friends, who willingly made their donations directly to the community’s account. The funds raised today, therefore, have nothing to do with the Ekiti State Government,” Biodun Oyebanji, Ekiti State Governor, said.
“The donors responded enthusiastically because of their confidence in Governor Oyebanji’s leadership and his commitment to community development. The impressive response is a reflection of the goodwill and trust the governor has built among people,” Dr Tunji Olowolafe, Chancellor of Ekiti State University and the event’s Chief Launcher, said.
WHAT’S NEXT
The Ikogosi community is expected to proceed with the palace construction using the funds raised, with Oyebanji expressing the expectation that the project will be completed and inaugurated at the 2027 Ikogosi Day celebration.
The governor also urged residents to mobilise for Tinubu ahead of the January 16, 2027 presidential election.
BOTTOM LINE
Oyebanji used the Ikogosi Day celebration to seek stronger support for Tinubu’s re-election while highlighting community-led development. The event also secured N906m towards the construction of a N1bn palace, with the governor calling for proper management of the donations.
