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EKITI EX-DEPUTY SPEAKER REJECTS CONSENSUS MOVE FOR ASSEMBLY SEAT
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress and member of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Hakeem Jamiu, has dismissed the “purported” endorsement of ex-Governor Ayodele Fayose’s son, Boluwatife Fayose, as the consensus candidate for the Irepodun/Ifelodun State Constituency II seat.
Jamiu, a former deputy speaker of the Assembly, said: “The All Progressives Congress had not approved a consensus process for selecting candidates for the 2027 state and National Assembly primaries.”
The lawmaker, in a statement made available in Ado Ekiti on Monday, denied claims that he was among stakeholders who endorsed Fayose for the House of Assembly seat during a constituency meeting held in Iworoko Ekiti in Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area on Saturday, March 14, 2026.
He said that although he attended the meeting, he did not participate in any endorsement and had clearly expressed opposition to the alleged consensus arrangement.
The lawmaker urged his supporters and associates to “disregard reports suggesting that I was part of the endorsement. Consensus requires the agreement of all stakeholders, which was not the case.”
Jamiu stated, “At the last stakeholders’ meeting held at Jibowu Hall, Government House, Ado Ekiti, the party only approved consensus arrangements for chairmanship and councillorship positions. No further meeting had been held to extend the arrangement to legislative seats.
“It is embarrassing for me as a sitting member of the House of Assembly to be invited to a meeting in my constituency only to be conscripted by ambush into a pre-arranged consensus endorsement,” Jamiu said.
He described the alleged endorsement as “premature and preposterous. The party is yet to release official guidelines for the primaries that will determine candidates for the state and National Assemblies.”
The lawmaker expressed confidence that the APC national leadership would ensure internal democracy and provide a level playing field for all aspirants seeking the party’s ticket.
Jamiu also alleged that the meeting turned violent, claiming that he was assaulted by a ward councillor who pushed and rough-handled him while allegedly threatening his life.
He maintained that he remained committed to due process and internal democracy within the party ahead of the forthcoming primaries.
Recall that APC leaders and members in Irepodun/Ifelodun State Constituency II of Ekiti State on Saturday reportedly ratified the nomination of Boluwatife Fayose as their consensus candidate for the constituency.
Fayose was presented to the party by the APC leadership in Afao ward and subsequently ratified as the consensus candidate for the Irepodun/Ifelodun II State Constituency.
Addressing the gathering, he thanked the party leaders and members present and promised to work with them to win the election.
He said, “I will make sure everybody is carried along and ensure nobody is left behind. But the most important thing right now is the June 20 governorship election, because without that, every other thing means nothing.”
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