A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and member of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Hakeem Jamiu, has dismissed reports claiming that he endorsed Boluwatife Fayose as the consensus candidate for the Irepodun/Ifelodun State Constituency II seat.
Jamiu, a former deputy speaker of the Assembly, insisted that the party had not approved any consensus arrangement for selecting candidates ahead of the 2027 state and National Assembly primaries. In a statement issued in Ado Ekiti on Monday, he denied being part of any endorsement during a constituency stakeholders’ meeting held in Iworoko Ekiti on 14 March 2026.
Although he confirmed his attendance at the gathering, the lawmaker maintained that he neither participated in nor supported the alleged decision. He further urged his supporters to disregard reports linking him to the endorsement, stressing that consensus requires the agreement of all stakeholders.
“It is embarrassing for me as a sitting member of the House of Assembly to be invited to a meeting in my constituency only to be conscripted by ambush into a pre-arranged consensus endorsement,” Jamiu stated.
He explained that during a previous stakeholders’ meeting at Jibowu Hall, Government House, Ado Ekiti, the party only approved consensus arrangements for chairmanship and councillorship positions, not legislative seats. According to him, no further meeting had been held to extend such arrangements.
Jamiu described the reported endorsement as “premature and preposterous”, noting that official guidelines for the primaries had yet to be released by the party’s national leadership. He expressed confidence that the leadership would uphold internal democracy and ensure a level playing field for all aspirants.
The lawmaker also alleged that the meeting turned violent, claiming he was assaulted by a ward councillor who pushed and threatened him during the proceedings.
Meanwhile, local party leaders had reportedly presented Fayose—son of former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose—as a consensus candidate for the constituency, a move said to have been ratified by members present.
In his remarks at the event, Boluwatife Fayose thanked party members for their support and pledged inclusive leadership, while urging unity ahead of the forthcoming governorship election.
