The Peoples Democratic Party in the South-West has urged the All Progressives Congress-led government in Ekiti State to begin preparations to vacate office ahead of the June 20, 2026, governorship election in the state.

Similarly, the PDP governorship candidate in Ekiti State, Dr Oluwole Oluyede, has expressed confidence that the party would form the next government, declaring that the PDP was ready to “send the non-performing government packing in the interest of the people’s welfare”.

They spoke in Ado-Ekiti on Saturday during a rally organised by the Ekiti State chapter of the PDP to receive Oluyede on his return from Abuja, where he was presented with his Certificate of Return by the Tanimu Turaki-led National Working Committee after emerging winner of the party’s governorship primary for the 2026 election.

A large crowd of PDP members and supporters, including Hausa and Ebira communities, as well as student groups, gathered in Ikere-Ekiti and Ado-Ekiti to welcome Oluyede and his entourage.

Speaking at the event, the South-West Zonal Publicity Secretary of the party, Atofarati, said the PDP in the zone had thrown its weight behind Oluyede to win the election.

“The PDP in the South-West is fully behind Oluyede. We have the people, the support and everything required to win the Ekiti governorship election. We will do everything possible to ensure that the election is not rigged,” he said.

He alleged that poor governance had worsened the living conditions of residents in the state.

“Ekiti people are crying. People are hungry and yearning for true leadership. They want a new lease of life. That clamour for people-oriented leadership is what you are witnessing here today with this massive turnout,” he said.

He added, “Our party has bounced back in Ekiti State. Come June 20, 2026, the PDP will return to power because the people across the state are ready and willing to vote for Oluyede and the PDP.

“The 2026 election is APC versus the people of Ekiti. It is not just about PDP; it is about the progress and collective well-being of Ekiti people. The people have embraced PDP as the vehicle for genuine leadership and the repositioning of the state.”

Addressing the crowd, Oluyede said the show of solidarity during his reception in Abuja demonstrated the readiness of the national leadership of the party to reclaim Ekiti State.

“The entire national leadership of the PDP turned out for Ekiti in Abuja. It was overwhelming and shows that the party is ready to take over this state. By the grace of God, we will take over Ekiti by June 2026,” he said.

The governorship candidate said he had prepared all his life for the responsibility of leading the state and urged party members to intensify mobilisation efforts.

“There is presently nothing tangible we can point to as an index of development in Ekiti. When the campaigns begin, our message will be simple: life will be better. In terms of infrastructure, Ekiti is far behind under the APC,” he said.

Oluyede added that his administration would focus on wealth creation through entrepreneurship, innovation and youth empowerment.

“Ekiti is not creating wealth at the moment. If a people do not create wealth, they will continue to decline. We must change that mindset. We will encourage entrepreneurship, innovation and youth development. We will support our people to create wealth for themselves.

“Ekiti is an agrarian society, so our wealth creation agenda will be anchored on agriculture. We will promote commercial and industrial farming. The health sector can also perform far better than it currently does,” he said.

The Ekiti State PDP Chairman, Mr Tunji Odeyemi, said the party was putting all necessary structures in place to ensure victory at the polls.

“The calculations ahead of the 2026 election favour the PDP by all standards. However, we will not take anything for granted. Our members have been charged to intensify efforts at the ward and unit levels, and they are responding positively,” he said.

Recall that the PDP, on December 10, presented Oluyede with his Certificate of Return in Abuja and declared its readiness to sweep the 2026 governorship election in Ekiti State.

At the event, the party’s Acting National Chairman, Alhaji Tanimu Turaki, expressed confidence in the party’s ability to reclaim the state from the APC.

“The presentation of this Certificate of Return marks the beginning of the journey back to Government House, Ado-Ekiti.

“I assure the great people of Ekiti that we will win the 2026 governorship election. Our candidate, Dr Oluwole Oluyede, is a man of the people, and the PDP remains the only party with a genuine blueprint for shared prosperity and sustainable development,” Turaki said.

The Ekiti State Police Command has arrested a man, Victor Lorjaal, a resident of Aba Ile camp, Itaji-Ekiti, for allegedly macheting his mother, Mrs Victoria Lorjaal, and his elder sister, Brenda Lorjaal, to death.

The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Sunday Abutu, said in a statement made available in Ado Ekiti on Thursday that the incident happened on Tuesday at about 07.10am on the farm.

Abutu stated, “One of the children of the deceased, who is an eyewitness, narrated that while working with the suspect on the farm, he suddenly left him and went to meet their mother and sister at a distant location where they were also working.

“According to him, shortly after the suspect left, he heard his mother scream for help, but before he could get closer, the suspect had committed the dastardly act and took to his heel with the cutlass he used, only to meet the two victims in the pool of their blood.”

The police command spokesperson said, “The Commissioner of Police, Joseph Eribo, has ordered a thorough investigation into the unfortunate incident.

“The suspect will be charged to court immediately after the completion of the investigation,” Abutu stated.

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Justice Olusegun Ogunyemi of the Ekiti State High Court, Ado Ekiti Division, on Thursday, sentenced two persons to death by hanging for armed robbery.

The convicts, Olusegun Folorunso, 53 and Ajayi Dele, 51, were charged to court and tried on three counts bordering on conspiracy and armed robbery.

According to the charge, “The convicts on August 24, 2022, along the Erio Ekiti Road did conspire to commit a felony, to wit: armed robbery, when they robbed one Ajogbeje Ayodeji of his ash-coloured Sonata Hyundai car, phone and a laptop computer.

“Also, on the same date and place, they also robbed one Oluwasegun Oke of his phone.

“As of the time of the robbery, they were armed with guns and cutlasses.

“The offences are contrary to Section 6(b) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act, Cap.R11, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004,” the charge stated.

In his testimony before the court, one of the victims, Ajogbeje Ayodeji, said, “Around 4 am, I and two of my brothers were travelling from Erio Ekiti to Ido Ekiti. Somewhere in the bush between Erio and Ido, we saw a barricade on the road; when we were thinking of what happened, we saw the two men armed with guns and cutlasses. They pointed their guns at us and ordered us to lay face down. They collected the car key, my laptop and our phones. They entered the car and drove away.

“I first reported the case at the Aramoko Police Station and later at the Rapid Response Squad of the Nigeria Police Force in Ado Ekiti. I later received a call that the armed robbers have been arrested in Ibadan,” he said.

The prosecutor, Kunle Adeyemo, called five witnesses and tendered defendants’ statements, one locally made single-barrelled, one locally made double-barrelled and six live cartridges among others as exhibits.

The defendants, who spoke in their defence through their lawyers, Adeyinka Opaleke and Ezekiel Agunbiade, called no witness.

In his judgement, Justice Olusegun Ogunyemi said, “In the present case, I uphold the submission of the prosecution that there are sufficient facts from which common intention can be inferred through which defendants can be convicted and sentenced for conspiracy to commit armed robbery.

“On the whole, the defendants are found guilty as charged. Consequently, on Count I, (Conspiracy), the defendants are sentenced to 10 years imprisonment each and Count 2 (armed robbery), the defendants are to be hanged by the neck till they are dead. May God have mercy on your souls,” the judge pronounced.

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A fire ignited by a thunderstorm on Sunday razed the building of Saint Peter’s Primary School in Igbemo, Ekiti State.

The building, comprising five blocks of classrooms, was burnt when a thunder strike reportedly ignited a fire during a stormy downpour that lasted for over an hour.

Consequent upon the incident, the teachers at the school on Monday morning relocated the pupils to a contiguous school, AUD Pilot Nursery Primary School, to continue with their learning.

The governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, who paid an inspection visit to the affected school on Monday, promised to rebuild the destroyed structure for the pupils to return to their base without delay.

The governor, represented by the Deputy Governor, Mrs Monisade Afuye, during the visit, lamented the incident and consequent dislodgement of pupils of the affected school from their original base.

Oyebanji said, “The structure razed down will be rebuilt in due course so that the pupils and teachers can heave a sigh of relief after the fire incident.

“I am saddened by this fire caused by a mysterious thunder strike. Though the structure had been burnt, we are happy that no life was lost, because it happened when the pupils and teachers were at home.

“Most interesting to me was the way you immediately relocated the pupils to a nearby school. This shows the commitment of the State Universal Basic Education Board to the academic growth of these pupils and the need for them to be at par with their colleagues in other schools.

“We are assuring you that the structure shall be rebuilt back to normal shape so that the pupils and teachers can return to their original school in no distant time,” he said.

The governor, while also reacting to complaints by the teachers of AUD Pilot, Nursery And Primary School over how some residents of the area were piling refuse and defecating within the school premises, ordered that the unhealthy practices be halted with immediate effect.

He expressed worries that allowing such to continue could expose the pupils to infectious diseases that could be injurious to their lives and those of the teachers.

The Education Secretary, Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area, Mrs Adesola George-Ojo, said completion of the perimeter fencing around the school would help in stemming the tide of open defecation within the school.

George-Ojo said the school had been battling with such unwholesome acts for ages, adding that it was time to stop such unhygienic practices to avert the breakdown of diseases within the school and the community at large.

Five persons have been arraigned by the police before an Ekiti State Chief Magistrate Court, Ado Ekiti District, for alleged stealing and receiving of stolen goods.

While four persons – Kabiru Dankuare, 40; Aina Abiodun, 32; Ademola Adekunle, 35; and Muhammed Saliu, 35, were arraigned for stealing electrical cables, property of the Ekiti State Government, 41 years old Tasiu Mohammed was in court for allegedly receiving stolen electrical cables and other items worth N7.5m.

When the matter of Mohammed came up in court on Tuesday, the prosecutor, Inspector Akinwale Oriyomi, alleged that “the defendant on March 11, 2025 at about 3p.m at the Ise-Ekiti Magisterial District did receive stolen electrical wires.”

Oriyomi listed stolen items received by the defendant to include two Infinix phones, one Tecno keypad phone, two digital computers, one schoolbag containing torchlight, one screw driver and one 100D light valued N7.5m, property of Babatunde Olawale, Ajibade Ola and Oloye Timothy.

The prosecutor said, “The offence committed is punishable under Section 343(1) of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State 2021.”

The counsel for the defendant, Idowu Ayenimo, urged the court to grant his client bail, saying he would not jump bail.

The Chief Magistrate, Mr Abayomi Adeosun, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N250,000 with two sureties each in like sum, a house owner.

The chief magistrate adjourned the case till March 27 for hearing.

And in the matter of the four defendants, the prosecutor, Oriyomi, told the court that the defendants and others at large on January 16 at about 8a.m at Odo-Ayedun-Ekiti in Ikole Ekiti Magisterial District, did steal electrical cable, property of Ekiti State Government.”

The prosecutor said, “The defendants committed an offence punishable under Section 421, 302(1)(a) of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State 2021.”

The counsel for the defendants, Gbenga Ariyibi, urged the court to admit his clients to bail, saying they would provide credible sureties and as well not jump bail.

The Chief Magistrate, Adeosun, granted bail to each of the defendants in the sum of N50,000 with one surety each.

Adeosun adjourned the case till April 21 for a hearing.