Claim
A website published a report claiming that the governorship candidate of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) in the 2026 Ekiti State governorship election, Adetunji Victor Ademola, has withdrawn from the race and endorsed the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji.
The claim was also shared on facebook here and and on X here
Background
The Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) is one of the political parties participating in Nigeria’s electoral process. For the 2026 Ekiti State governorship election, the party nominated Adetunji Victor Ademola as its governorship candidate. Although ZLP is among the registered political parties contesting the election, it is regarded as a relatively smaller political party compared to dominant parties such as the APC and the PDP. (The Guardian Nigeria)
Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), is the incumbent Governor of Ekiti State. He was elected governor in the 2022 governorship election and is seeking a second term in office in the June 20, 2026 governorship election.
Verification
To verify the claim, we searched for independent reports from reputable media organizations.
Our findings show that credible news outlets reported that Adetunji Victor Ademola officially stepped down from the governorship race and declared his support for Governor Biodun Oyebanji ahead of the election. Reports indicate that the ZLP candidate explained that his decision was based on his assessment of Governor Oyebanji’s leadership and developmental projects in Ekiti State.
Verdict: TRUE
Our findings show that the claim is true.
Conclusion
Based on available evidence from multiple credible news reports, the claim that Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) governorship candidate Adetunji Victor Ademola stepped down from the 2026 Ekiti State governorship election and endorsed Governor Biodun Oyebanji of the APC is TRUE.
