Oyebanji Secures Second Term as INEC Declares APC Candidate Winner of Ekiti Governorship Election

Governor Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been re-elected as governor of Ekiti State after recording a decisive victory in Saturday’s governorship election, further strengthening the ruling party’s hold on the South-West state.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officially declared Oyebanji winner of the poll in the early hours of Sunday after the collation of results from all 16 local government areas of the state.

Announcing the final result at the INEC headquarters along Iyin Road in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, the Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Adenike Oladiji, said the incumbent governor met all constitutional requirements and was therefore returned elected for another four-year term.

According to the results released by the commission, Oyebanji polled 319,224 votes to defeat his closest challenger, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Olumayokun Oluyede, who secured 40,533 votes. The candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dare Bejide, finished third with 12,872 votes.

Declaring the result, Oladiji stated that the APC candidate had fulfilled the legal requirements for election and was duly returned as governor-elect.

The outcome reflected a commanding performance by the incumbent governor, who won by a wide margin across the state. Political analysts described the result as one of the most emphatic victories recorded in recent governorship elections in Ekiti.

INEC disclosed that the state had a total of 988,251 registered voters, while 384,940 voters were accredited for the election. The figures indicate significant voter participation in a contest that attracted considerable attention from political parties, election observers and civil society organisations.

The election was conducted amid tight security across the state, with personnel of the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and other security agencies deployed to maintain law and order. Restriction of movement was also enforced throughout the voting period to ensure a peaceful process.

Oyebanji’s victory is widely seen as an endorsement of his administration’s policies and development programmes since assuming office. During the campaign, the governor highlighted achievements in infrastructure, education, healthcare, agriculture and economic development, promising to consolidate on ongoing projects if re-elected.

The PDP and ADC had mounted strong campaigns ahead of the election, seeking to unseat the incumbent and present alternative visions for the state’s development. However, the final results showed that the APC maintained overwhelming support across much of the state.

Ekiti has traditionally been regarded as one of Nigeria’s politically active states, with governorship elections often attracting national interest due to the state’s history of competitive contests and high voter engagement.

The latest victory also represents another significant electoral success for the APC in the South-West region, where the party continues to maintain considerable political influence.

With the election concluded, attention is expected to shift toward governance and the implementation of campaign promises, as residents look forward to the next phase of development under Oyebanji’s second term administration.

The governor is expected to receive his certificate of return from INEC in the coming days, paving the way for the commencement of his new mandate as Ekiti State governor.