The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially declared Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC) the winner of the Ekiti State governorship election, securing him a second term in office.
INEC announced the result on Sunday in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, after Oyebanji recorded a commanding victory across all 16 local government areas of the state.
According to the final collation contained in Form EC8E, Oyebanji polled 319,224 votes, defeating his closest challenger, Wole Oluyede of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who garnered 40,543 votes.
The governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Oluwadare Bejide, finished third with 12,872 votes.
By winning all 16 local government areas, Oyebanji completed a statewide sweep, posting strong results in both urban and rural communities.
The INEC State Collation Officer, who supervised the final aggregation of results from the 16 LGAs, announced the final figures and declared the APC candidate winner after confirming that he met the constitutional and legal requirements for election.
She disclosed that electoral officials rejected 6,332 votes out of the 382,109 votes cast during the election.
INEC also reported that 384,940 voters were accredited from a total of 988,251 registered voters across Ekiti State.
The final results for other parties were as follows:
- ADC – 12,872
- ADP – 1,269
- A – 564
- AA – 126
- AAC – 195
- APM – 59
- APP – 61
- LP – 276
- NNPP – 35
- PRP – 163
- SDP – 179
- YPP – 98
- ZLP – 113
With the victory, Oyebanji joins the ranks of Ekiti governors who have secured a second term, further strengthening the APC’s hold on the state.
Ekiti’s political history shows that former governors Ayo Fayose and Kayode Fayemi each served two non-consecutive terms. Oyebanji’s re-election, however, extends the APC’s continuity in government and reinforces the party’s dominance in the state.
Political observers credit his victory to the advantages of incumbency, extensive political alliances, and public perceptions of his administration’s performance in infrastructure, education, healthcare, and workers’ welfare.
Before the election, Oyebanji secured support from influential political figures across party lines, traditional rulers, and grassroots networks throughout the state’s 16 local government areas.
Meanwhile, opposition parties, particularly the PDP and ADC, failed to unite behind a common strategy, a factor many analysts believe weakened their challenge at the polls.
Oyebanji’s re-election cements the APC’s grip on Ekiti State and gives him a renewed mandate to govern for another four years.
