African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has accused Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji of taking possession of mobile phones and other devices stolen from members of his team during an attack in Ado-Ekiti.

Sowore alleged that the governor personally instructed the commander of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), identified as Ogidan, to hand over the recovered devices to him instead of returning them to their owners.

The activist made the allegation in a statement posted on his verified X account on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, describing the reported development as an attempt to interfere with evidence connected to the October 30 attack.

According to Sowore, his team had been informed that Oyebanji directed the RRS commander to transfer the recovered devices to him on Monday.

“We have been informed that Governor Biodun Oyebanji personally instructed the Rapid Response Squad, RRS, Commander, Ogidan, to hand over our recovered devices to him yesterday. Why would the governor take possession of evidence connected to the brutal attack on us?” he queried.

The latest allegation follows an earlier claim by Sowore that some of the mobile phones stolen during the incident had been electronically tracked to locations around the Ekiti State Government House in Ado-Ekiti.

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He had specifically alleged that one of the stolen phones was traced to the Governor’s Lodge, while other devices were located around the state capital.

The AAC presidential candidate had subsequently called on the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS) to release the CCTV recordings from Tawakalitu Restaurant, where he and members of his team were attacked.

He also accused the police and the DSS of remaining silent despite releasing videos purportedly showing individuals involved in the attack.

“Since we released the chilling videos exposing the faces of members of the armed gang that tried to kill us on October 30, the Ekiti State Governor, Commissioner of Police, and DSS have all suddenly gone silent!” Sowore stated.

He further alleged that key individuals linked to the attack had not been arrested, despite their alleged appearances at meetings relating to President Bola Tinubu’s forthcoming campaign activities in Ekiti State.

The October 30 incident occurred at Tawakalitu Restaurant in Ado-Ekiti, shortly after Sowore attended a radio interview at MIDAS FM 90.5.

Sowore and members of his entourage reportedly came under attack by a group of men, who allegedly assaulted members of his team and stole personal belongings, including mobile phones, wristwatches and shoes.

The activist described the incident as an assassination attempt, while the Ekiti State Police Command initially characterised it as an altercation involving Sowore and some individuals at the restaurant.

The police subsequently announced the arrest of 11 suspects in connection with the incident. Items reportedly recovered included 13 mobile phones, two walkie-talkies, seven ATM cards, eight international passports and other materials.

Sowore, however, has continued to demand the arrest of those he considers the masterminds behind the attack, insisting that the investigation should go beyond those already apprehended.

The controversy has also extended to the CCTV recordings from the restaurant. Sowore alleged that police officers and DSS operatives took possession of the surveillance equipment and that the recordings were subsequently erased before the equipment was returned.

He has called for the release of the footage and an independent investigation into the incident.

Meanwhile, the Ekiti State Government had earlier denied any involvement in the attack, describing the allegations against it as unfounded and urging the police to conduct a thorough investigation and bring anyone found responsible to justice.

As of Tuesday, November 3, the governor had not publicly issued a specific response to Sowore’s latest allegation that he directed the RRS commander to hand over the recovered devices to him.

The allegations against Oyebanji and other individuals named by Sowore have not been independently established.

2027: ‘Oyebanji Seized Our Phones’ – Sowore Accuses Ekiti Gov of Withholding Recovered Devices

The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has established a separate 168-member campaign council for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 re-election, distancing its state leadership from the campaign structure inaugurated by Governor Ademola Adeleke.

The development has exposed fresh disagreements within the political arrangement supporting Tinubu’s second-term ambition in Osun, following the controversy surrounding Adeleke’s appointment as the state coordinator of the President’s campaign.

The APC unveiled the new 168-member presidential and parliamentary campaign council on Monday, November 2, 2026, with the party’s governorship candidate in the August 2026 election, Bola Oyebamiji, appointed as Director-General.

Osun APC chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, was named Deputy Director-General, while Oyebamiji’s running mate, Benjamin Adereti, and Kehinde Olamolu were appointed Assistant Director-Generals I and II, respectively.

The three APC senatorial candidates and nine House of Representatives candidates in the state were also included in the council.

Other prominent members include former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Foluke Etteh; former deputy governors Iyiola Omisore, Titi Laoye-Ponnle, Adeleke Adewoyin and Adegboyega Alabi; retired General Alani Akinrinade; Nigeria’s Ambassador to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode; and APC spokesperson, Kola Olabisi.

In a statement announcing the arrangement, Lawal said the council was carefully constituted to mobilise support for Tinubu’s re-election and the party’s candidates contesting National Assembly and State Assembly elections in 2027.

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The decision comes less than two weeks after Adeleke inaugurated a separate 344-member campaign council in Osogbo on October 22 to coordinate support for Tinubu’s re-election.

Adeleke, who secured re-election as Osun governor on the platform of the Accord Party in August 2026, had been named Osun coordinator of Tinubu’s presidential campaign in the revised campaign council released by the APC national leadership.

However, his appointment generated discontent among some APC leaders in the state, particularly over the composition of the campaign committee and the extent of consultation with the party’s established leadership.

Several prominent APC figures, including former Osun governor and Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola; Oyebamiji; and Lawal, were absent when Adeleke inaugurated the 344-member council.

Other party figures also stayed away from the event, although APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, former governor Bisi Akande and former deputy governor Iyiola Omisore attended.

Following the inauguration, Lawal complained that the Osun APC leadership was not adequately consulted before the committee was constituted and its membership announced.

He said the party only became aware of the arrangement after Adeleke’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, published the list on social media less than 24 hours before the planned inauguration.

The APC chairman expressed concern that the manner in which the committee was constituted could create unnecessary disagreements between the party and the governor, despite their shared support for Tinubu’s re-election.

The emergence of the new 168-member council, with Oyebamiji and Lawal occupying its top positions, has now introduced a separate campaign structure within the state.

Another issue contributing to the disagreement is the scope of Adeleke’s political alliance with Tinubu.

During the October 22 inauguration, the governor reaffirmed his commitment to supporting Tinubu’s 2027 presidential ambition but made it clear that the arrangement would not extend to legislative elections.

Adeleke said he would campaign for candidates of his own party, Accord, in elections for the Senate, House of Representatives and Osun State House of Assembly.

He also denied entering into any agreement with the APC to share legislative or local government positions, insisting that the political understanding among the coalition partners was limited to the presidential election.

Meanwhile, Oyetola has expressed confidence that Tinubu could secure 1.5 million votes in Osun State in the 2027 presidential election, urging APC members to strengthen grassroots mobilisation and work towards the President’s re-election.

The emergence of competing campaign structures raises questions about how the APC and its political allies will coordinate their activities in Osun ahead of the 2027 general elections, particularly as the governor and the state party leadership maintain different arrangements for supporting the same presidential candidate.

Lagos State Deputy Governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, has defended the construction of the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge following allegations of public funds mismanagement by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) deputy governorship candidate, Babatunde Gbadamosi.

The two politicians exchanged words over the cost, financing and toll collection arrangements for the 1.68-kilometre bridge, which was constructed during the administration of former Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola, when Hamzat served as Commissioner for Works.

Hamzat, in a statement on Monday, described the bridge as a landmark infrastructure project that had improved connectivity and eased traffic for commuters travelling within Lagos.

He said the decision to construct the bridge was driven by the need to reduce time spent in traffic, ease the burden on motorists and improve access to the Lekki Peninsula.

According to him, the project was delivered in collaboration with Fashola and represented an important milestone in Lagos State’s infrastructure development.

The deputy governor said the bridge had become an iconic feature of the Lagos skyline, arguing that its impact on commuters could not be dismissed by political criticism or attempts to rewrite history.

“Critics may try to rewrite history, make unfair comparisons or turn progress into a political argument but they cannot erase the difference this bridge has made in the lives of the millions of people who use it,” he said.

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Hamzat maintained that his commitment to public service remained focused on transparency, infrastructure development and improving the living conditions of Lagos residents.

He also challenged critics of the project to demonstrate their own contributions to infrastructure development.

“When anyone attempts to undermine projects that have made life better for Lagosians, one simple question is worth asking: What have they built?” he added.

However, Gbadamosi, in a statement published on October 31, questioned the cost of the 1.68-kilometre Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge, alleging that the project raised concerns about the management of public funds under the Fashola administration.

He recalled that Fashola announced in 2013 that the bridge had been fully funded by Lagos taxpayers at a cost of N29 billion, which Gbadamosi estimated at approximately $195 million.

To support his criticism, the ADC chieftain compared the Lagos project with China’s 42-kilometre Qingdao Jiaozhou Bay Bridge, which he said cost approximately $2.3 billion.

He argued that the Lekki-Ikoyi Bridge was considerably more expensive on a per-kilometre basis, putting its cost at approximately $143 million per kilometre, compared with $55 million for the Chinese bridge.

Gbadamosi also questioned the arrangement that allowed a private company to collect tolls on the Lekki-Ikoyi Bridge, alleging that the company did not finance its construction.

The toll collection arrangement has been a subject of public debate, with the Lekki Concession Company (LCC) officially identified as the operator of the bridge’s toll plaza since June 2016.

Lekki-Ikoyi Bridge: Hamzat, Gbadamosi Clash Over N29bn Cost, Toll Collection