The Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adeyemo Adejugbe Aladesanmi III, has offered royal blessings to candidates of the All Progressives Congress, APC, contesting the December 12, 2026 local government elections, urging them to embrace unity and intensify grassroots mobilisation.
Oba Adejugbe gave the charge when APC candidates and party leaders from Ado-Ekiti visited his palace to seek royal support ahead of the polls.
The monarch expressed disappointment over the party’s performance in Ado-Ekiti during the last governorship election, where the town recorded about 38,000 votes as against its traditional capacity of about 70,000 votes.
He challenged political appointees and party leaders from the town to justify their relevance by improving on the previous electoral outing, urging the candidates to avoid unnecessary political disagreements and embark on house-to-house mobilisation.
Oba Adejugbe advised the candidates to maintain regular communication with the people, work closely with stakeholders and regard the palace as their first point of reference on matters affecting the town.
He thereafter offered prayers for their success and charged elected and appointed office holders to remain accountable by regularly returning to their communities to explain government policies and programmes.
Speaking on behalf of the delegation, APC spokesperson in Ado-Ekiti, Mr. Remi Oguntuase, said the visit was to receive royal prayers from the monarch and the Ewi-in-Council, appealing to the traditional institution to continue supporting the political development of the town.
Oguntuase noted that Ado-Ekiti deserves greater political recognition and representation at both state and national levels.
Addressing journalists after the meeting, the member representing Ado-Ekiti/Irepodun-Ifelodun Federal Constituency, Hon. Olusola Steve Fatoba, described the visit as the beginning of renewed mobilisation ahead of the elections.
Fatoba, who is seeking a third term, admitted that the party underperformed in Ado-Ekiti in the last governorship poll, saying leaders have identified lapses and are determined to correct them.
According to him, the party is targeting a threefold increase in votes from the town and urged residents to mobilise their families in support of the APC.
He called on party members to work towards delivering between 70 and 80 per cent of votes from the town, while expressing support for President Bola Tinubu, whom he described as a son of the South-West.
Also speaking, the Deputy Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Hon. Bolaji Olagbayu, who is seeking re-election, expressed optimism about the party’s prospects, assuring that the next Assembly would improve on governance and development.
Similarly, the APC House of Assembly candidate for Ado Constituency One, Hon. Ayoddeji Adarabierin, pledged to advance the interests of his constituency through effective representation, legislative support for government programmes and meaningful empowerment.
The gathering comprised 13 councillorship candidates and six local government chairmanship candidates from Ado-Ekiti, who pledged to work together and promote the collective interest of the town ahead of the December 12 polls.
