Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A former governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress in Ekiti State, Abimbola Olajumoke Olawumi, has accused Governor Biodun Oyebanji of orchestrating what she describes as "state-sponsored terrorism" against her and her family, alleging that the governor deployed operatives of the Ekiti State Rapid Response Squad (RRS) to abduct her, assault her son, and persecute her over her legal challenge to the party's governorship primary. In an open letter dated August 2, 2026, addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Olawumi appealed for an urgent private audience with the President, claiming her life and those of her family members were in danger.
Olawumi, who was disqualified from the APC governorship primary that produced Oyebanji as the party's candidate, alleged that her ordeal began after she challenged her disqualification through the courts. She claimed that rather than allowing the legal process to run its course, Governor Oyebanji resorted to using the Nigeria Police Force to intimidate and harass her across the country. "For months, the Governor of Ekiti State, Biodun Oyebanji, has relentlessly hounded me and my family, deploying different units and commands of the Nigeria Police Force to terrorize us across the federation," she wrote in the letter. "This political vendetta stemmed solely from my peaceful decision to challenge my unlawful disqualification from the APC gubernatorial primary election through constitutional means."
In her petition, Olawumi detailed two specific incidents that she said formed part of a sustained campaign of intimidation. She alleged that on February 20, 2026, armed operatives of the Ekiti State RRS travelled to her residence in Abuja and violently abducted her son. According to her account, the officers scaled the fence of her private residence, broke down doors and windows, and assaulted her son before taking him into custody. She claimed he was beaten until he was bleeding and was subsequently detained at the Kubwa Phase 4 Police Station for over twelve hours without charge or access to his family. "He was utilized as a pawn in a brutal game of political intimidation," she wrote, adding that her son was unarmed, had committed no crime, and posed no threat at the time of his arrest.
The aspirant further alleged that on July 22, 2026, shortly after proceedings relating to her case at the Supreme Court, she was abducted outside the Court of Appeal premises in Abuja by operatives of the Ekiti RRS. She claimed that she was violently ambushed, kidnapped, and forced into a vehicle "right in the heart of the Federal Capital Territory, directly in front of the Court of Appeal premises." She said she was driven for nine hours under severe duress to Ado-Ekiti, thrown into degrading overnight detention, and subjected to deliberate cyber-sabotage where operatives forcefully withheld her mobile devices to wipe her WhatsApp database and delete vital legal documents from her cloud accounts. "Because I sought justice in court, Governor Oyebanji has chosen to fight me through raw terror," she stated.
Olawumi also accused the judiciary of failing to protect her rights and alleged that the Ekiti State Government was weaponising state institutions against political opponents. She expressed concern that repeated complaints about alleged misconduct by Ekiti RRS officers had been submitted to police authorities but no action was taken. "The silence of the authorities has emboldened these officers and encouraged lawlessness," she said. She warned that the alleged incident reflects patterns Nigerians protested against during the #EndSARS movement, stressing that Nigerians had not forgotten the painful lessons of the unchecked brutality and impunity of certain units within the Nigeria Police Force.
The Ekiti State Government, through the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dayo Apata, has categorically denied any involvement in the alleged abduction or arrest. In a statement issued on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, the government said: "The Ekiti State Government categorically denies any involvement in the alleged abduction or Police arrest or detention of Mrs. Abimbola Olajumoke Olawumi, stating clearly that the state had no hand in the matter. The Ekiti State Government did not order or know anything about Police action regarding Mrs. Olawumi." The government also dismissed the allegations as unfounded and urged the public to disregard them.
Olawumi, who has been involved in a prolonged legal dispute over the APC governorship primary that produced Governor Oyebanji as the party's candidate, said she had earlier relocated from Ekiti State to Abuja due to security concerns. In an earlier judgment, the Court of Appeal in Abuja dismissed her appeal and affirmed Oyebanji's candidacy for the governorship election. In a unanimous judgment delivered by a three-member panel, the appellate court held that Olawumi's appeal was incompetent because her appellant's brief violated the Court of Appeal Rules by exceeding the prescribed page limit. The appellate court also upheld the cross-appeal filed by Governor Oyebanji, ruling that the trial court erred in recognising Olawumi as an aspirant within the meaning of the Constitution and the Electoral Act 2022.
Olawumi's petition has drawn attention to the alleged use of state security apparatus to intimidate political opponents, a concern that has been raised by opposition figures and civil society groups in recent months. The aspirant has called on President Tinubu, in his capacity as Commander-in-Chief, to order a full, independent, and transparent investigation into the matter and ensure that those responsible are held accountable regardless of rank or political connections. She expressed confidence that the President would uphold justice and protect citizens' rights. Copies of the letter were also forwarded to the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, and the Nigeria Police Force. As of the time of this report, the Nigeria Police Force had not issued an official response to the allegations.
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