Abimbola Olawunmi, a female governorship aspirant in Ekiti State, has picked the All Progressives Congress (APC) nomination form, declaring her intention to challenge Governor Biodun Oyebanji in the party’s primary.

Olawunmi made her intentions known on Tuesday at the APC National Secretariat on Tuesday in Abuja.

The party had earlier sets nomination and expression of interest forms at a combined N50 million, and offered significant concessions, including exemptions for female aspirants and persons with disabilities, and a 50% discount on nomination fees for youths aged 25 to 40.

Speaking to the media after picking her nomination form, Olawunmi, who described herself as “the only challenger for now.”

She also accused the Oyebanji administration of mismanaging the state’s resources despite receiving over N500 billion in federal allocations since 2023.

She alleged that key infrastructure such as roads, schools and hospitals remain in deplorable condition, adding that poverty has been “intentionally weaponised” by those in power.

“No man can intimidate me,” she told journalists in Abuja, insisting that Ekiti needs a woman to break the dominance of “a cabal that has ruled since 1999.”

She vowed to prioritise welfare, rural development and agricultural investment if elected.

The aspirant also claimed she had previously been targeted by the government, citing an invitation by the Department of State Services (DSS) following her public critici’m of the state’s finances.

Olawunmi, who claimed she has worked on women and youth empowerment programmes since 2007, said she is confident of grassroots support.

She noted that her candidacy would give APC a stronger chance of retaining the state in the 2026 general election.

Governor Oyebanji, who assumed office in October 2022, is seeking re-election on the platform of the ruling APC.

His administration has faced criticism from opposition figures and civil society groups over infrastructure decay, though the government maintains that road projects and social investment programmes are ongoing. (BusinessDay)