Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has secured a resounding second term in office after recording a landslide victory in Saturday’s governorship election, reaffirming the dominance of the All Progressives Congress (APC) across the state.
The governor’s overwhelming support was evident from his polling unit in Ikogosi-Ekiti, where the APC polled 326 votes at Polling Unit 003, Ward 06, Okelele. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) secured two votes, while the Action Democratic Party (ADP) and African Action Congress (AAC) recorded one vote each. Three ballots were declared invalid.
Governor Oyebanji, who cast his vote alongside his wife, Olayemi Oyebanji, at about 11:38 a.m., had expressed confidence in both the electoral process and his party’s chances of victory.
“I am impressed with the turnout of voters and the peaceful conduct of the exercise. The minor challenges encountered during accreditation will be resolved, and every eligible voter will have the opportunity to cast their vote,” he said shortly after voting.
The governor also urged residents to remain patient and peaceful throughout the electoral process.
His confidence was ultimately reflected in the final results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) following the completion of statewide collation.
According to the official figures, Oyebanji polled 319,224 votes to defeat his closest rival, Wole Oluyede of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who secured 40,543 votes. The ADC candidate, Oluwadare Bejide, came third with 12,872 votes.
The APC candidate achieved a clean sweep across all 16 local government areas of the state, underscoring his widespread acceptance among voters in both urban and rural communities.
INEC disclosed that 382,109 valid votes were cast in the election, while 6,332 ballots were rejected. A total of 384,940 voters were accredited from the state’s 988,251 registered voters.
Other parties recorded the following results: ADP (1,269), Accord (564), Action Alliance (126), AAC (195), APM (59), APP (61), Labour Party (276), NNPP (35), PRP (163), SDP (179), YPP (98) and ZLP (113).
Declaring the result, the INEC State Collation Officer said Oyebanji had satisfied all constitutional requirements and was therefore duly elected Governor of Ekiti State for another four-year term.
“Having scored the highest number of votes and fulfilled the requirements of the law, Biodun Oyebanji is hereby declared the winner and returned elected,” the collation officer announced.
The outcome further consolidates the APC’s grip on Ekiti politics and grants Oyebanji a renewed mandate to continue his administration’s development programmes.
Political observers attributed the governor’s emphatic victory to his administration’s performance in key sectors, including infrastructure, education, healthcare and workers’ welfare, as well as the broad support he enjoyed from political leaders, traditional rulers and grassroots stakeholders across the state.
With his re-election secured, Oyebanji is expected to intensify efforts to implement policies aimed at driving economic growth, improving public services and enhancing the overall welfare of Ekiti residents during his second term.
