Reps Spokesperson Wins APC Primaries in Ekiti

The spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Hon. Akintunde Rotimi, has emerged winner of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election for Ekiti North I (Ikole/Oye) Federal Constituency.

Rotimi, a first-term lawmaker seeking the ruling party’s ticket for a second term in the 2027 general elections, secured victory in 22 out of 24 wards in the constituency.

He defeated a former member of the 7th Assembly, Bimbo Daramola, alongside other contestants including Erelu Kemi Elebute-Halle, Gbenga Joseph, Ayorinde Ejioye, and Ayo Omotosho.

In the buildup to the exercise, the contest gradually narrowed as three aspirants stepped down and endorsed the incumbent. They included Funke Owoseni, Kayode Omoboya, and Yemi Ayodele Ayeni, all of whom publicly backed his return bid ahead of the primaries.

Two days before the election, a constituency-wide endorsement was held involving chairmen of all eight local government areas and Local Council Development Areas, alongside councillors, ward chairmen, women leaders, youth leaders, and other key political stakeholders across Ekiti State.

The stakeholders collectively endorsed the incumbent, describing his representation as steady, accessible, and results-oriented.

The outcome further underscores the political dynamics in the constituency, where Daramola, who left office in 2015, has made repeated but unsuccessful attempts to return to the National Assembly.

He was previously defeated by Rotimi in the 2023 general elections, a result that further consolidated the lawmaker’s grassroots appeal in Ekiti North I.