Former Ekiti State Governor, Olusegun Oni, has officially joined the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), registering with the party at his Ifaki Ekiti residence on Sunday.
The defection came a day after Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, revalidated his APC membership and urged party members across the state to intensify grassroots mobilisation to strengthen the party.
Oni served as Ekiti governor between 2007 and 2010 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He later emerged as the Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate in the 2022 election, where he finished second behind Governor Oyebanji.
Reacting to Oni’s registration, the APC e-registration coordinator in Ekiti State, Gold Adesola Adedayo, described the move as a major boost to the party’s electronic membership drive and the progressive family in the state.
Adedayo, who also serves as Commissioner for Youth Development, said the former governor is a seasoned and widely accepted grassroots politician whose entry would add value to the APC and reinforce its electoral dominance.
He described Oni’s defection as strategic, noting that it would strengthen Governor Oyebanji’s re-election prospects ahead of the June 20, 2026 governorship poll.
According to Adedayo, Oni’s exit from the SDP to the APC signals a significant political realignment ahead of the 2026 Ekiti election and the 2027 general polls.
“Today, we registered former Governor Segun Oni into our great party. This important move will further energise our ongoing online registration exercise in Ekiti.
“He is highly respected and loved at the grassroots. His presence will attract more people to the APC, especially at this critical time,” Adedayo said.
He added that the party was satisfied with the progress of the e-registration exercise and expressed confidence in APC’s future electoral success.
The commissioner also cautioned party leaders against complacency, urging sustained and coordinated mobilisation to expand the party’s grassroots base.
