Governor Biodun Oyebanji has secured a second term in office after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared him winner of Saturday’s Ekiti State governorship election, following a commanding victory across all 16 local government areas of the state.
The Returning Officer announced the final result on Sunday in Ado-Ekiti after the completion of the statewide collation, confirming that Mr Oyebanji, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), polled 319,224 votes to defeat his closest challenger, Wole Oluyede of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who secured 40,543 votes.
The candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Oluwadare Bejide, finished third with 12,872 votes, while candidates of other political parties trailed with significantly lower tallies.
The declaration followed the presentation of the final results on Form EC8E after collation from the state’s 16 local government areas. By winning every local government, Mr Oyebanji recorded a clean sweep in an election that further strengthened the APC’s hold on Ekiti State.
INEC also disclosed that 384,940 voters were accredited for the election out of 988,251 registered voters across the state. A total of 382,109 votes were cast, while 6,332 ballots were rejected.
The commission declared Mr Oyebanji duly elected after confirming that he satisfied the constitutional requirements for victory under Nigeria’s electoral laws.
The final results for the remaining political parties were as follows:
- ADC: 12,872
- ADP: 1,269
- Accord (A): 564
- AA: 126
- AAC: 195
- APM: 59
- APP: 61
- LP: 276
- NNPP: 35
- PRP: 163
- SDP: 179
- YPP: 98
- ZLP: 113
Mr Oyebanji’s emphatic victory extends APC’s dominance in Ekiti and gives the governor a fresh four-year mandate to continue his administration.
His campaign centred on continuity in governance, while supporters pointed to investments in road infrastructure, education, healthcare, agriculture and workers’ welfare as key factors that influenced voters. He also entered the election with the backing of influential political figures, traditional rulers and grassroots structures across the state.
The opposition, led by the PDP and ADC, struggled to mount a coordinated challenge against the incumbent, with political observers noting that divisions within the opposition camp weakened their chances at the polls.
With Sunday’s declaration, Mr Oyebanji joins the list of Ekiti governors to secure a second term, although unlike former governors Ayodele Fayose and Kayode Fayemi, whose two terms were non-consecutive, his re-election ensures uninterrupted continuity for both his administration and the APC in the state.
The outcome is expected to shape the political landscape in Ekiti ahead of future elections, with the APC emerging from the contest in a stronger position after recording victories in every local government area.
