A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial aspirant for the 2026 Ekiti State election, Olugbenga Obafemi, has launched a scathing attack on the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration led by Governor Biodun Oyebanji, citing the state's declining educational standards and unfulfilled promises.

Speaking to journalists during a visit to his hometown in Ikole-Ekiti, Ikole Local Government Area, Obafemi lamented that Ekiti, once known as the "Fountain of Knowledge," now ranks a disappointing 8th among Nigeria's 36 states in WAEC performance.

"Ikole has been set back in many ways, just as Ekiti has been. If you look at Ekiti, we call it the 'Fountain of Knowledge,' yet we are ranked 8th out of the 36 states in Nigeria in WAEC performance. That's ridiculous," Obafemi stated.

The gubernatorial hopeful officially declared his intention to contest in the 2026 election, promising to implement free education for Ekiti indigenes from primary to tertiary levels if elected. He argued that the state's abundant natural resources, including cocoa, gold, and coconut, should be harnessed to fund educational initiatives.

Obafemi also criticized the current administration's handling of infrastructure projects, particularly pointing to the state's airport, which he claimed is not fully operational for commercial flights.

"The APC has not done enough. There's much to be done in Ekiti. We have an airport that has been built but has not yet facilitated commercial flights. The only flights operating there are shuttle flights. The airport needs to be opened to the world," he remarked.

Beyond education and infrastructure, Obafemi pledged to revitalize Ekiti's agricultural sector with the aim of transforming the state into "the food basket of the nation." He also promised to address security challenges by implementing a robust security architecture.

On road infrastructure, the PDP aspirant committed to improving all roads leading to Ekiti, including federal roads within the state. "I'm going to make a difference for Ekiti, so that when you are coming from other states, you will travel on the right roads to Ekiti. Every road that is designated as a federal road is, as far as I'm concerned, a state road because it's our people who will use it," he added.

The 2026 Ekiti gubernatorial race is expected to be highly competitive as opposition parties seek to challenge the APC's hold on the state government.