A governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State, Mrs. Abimbola Olajumoke Olawunmi, has suffered a setback in her legal challenge against her disqualification from the party’s governorship primary, after the courts declined to grant the reliefs she sought.

Olawunmi had approached the courts following her disqualification by the APC National Working Committee (NWC) ahead of the party’s governorship primary. The party cited issues relating to its internal requirements and membership validation process as reasons for her exclusion from the race. Governor Biodun Oyebanji was subsequently cleared and emerged as the APC candidate.

In April 2026, Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed Olawunmi’s suit, holding that the matter was non-justiciable, lacked a reasonable cause of action, and largely concerned internal party affairs. The court also affirmed the validity of the process that produced Oyebanji as the APC candidate.

Dissatisfied with the ruling, Olawunmi proceeded to the Court of Appeal, arguing that the lower court erred in dismissing her suit after declining jurisdiction. She asked the appellate court to set aside the judgment, declare her disqualification unlawful, and invalidate the APC primary that produced Oyebanji as candidate.

However, her attempt to stop or arrest the judgment did not succeed, leaving the earlier court decision in place while the legal dispute continues through the appellate process. The development strengthens Governor Oyebanji’s position as the APC flagbearer ahead of the Ekiti governorship election.