Governor Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has secured a resounding second term in office after defeating his closest rivals by a wide margin in the Ekiti State governorship election, consolidating the ruling party’s grip on the state amid growing opposition complaints over the conduct of the poll.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Oyebanji winner of the June 20 governorship election after he polled 319,224 votes, defeating the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Dr. Wole Oluyede, who garnered 40,543 votes, while the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Dare Bejide, finished a distant third with 12,872 votes.
INEC Chief Returning Officer and Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Professor Adenike Oladiji, announced the final result in Ado-Ekiti, declaring that Oyebanji satisfied all constitutional requirements and was duly elected governor of the state.
The election result underscored the dominance of the incumbent governor, who won in all 16 local government areas of the state, leaving opposition parties struggling to make significant inroads despite weeks of intense campaigning and allegations of electoral irregularities.
According to INEC, Ekiti State had 988,252 registered voters, while 384,940 voters were accredited for the election. A total of 382,109 votes were cast, with 6,332 ballots rejected, leaving 375,777 valid votes.
The outcome marks another major electoral victory for the APC in the South-West and strengthens Oyebanji’s political standing ahead of his second term. The governor’s overwhelming margin of victory is expected to fuel fresh debate over the state of opposition politics in Ekiti, particularly as rival parties continue to question aspects of the electoral process.
Following the declaration, APC leaders hailed the result as a validation of Oyebanji’s performance in office and called on defeated candidates to join hands with the governor in advancing the development of Ekiti State.
However, the election was not without controversy. Prior to the final declaration, opposition figures had raised concerns over delays in result collation and alleged manipulation of the process, claims that are likely to keep political tensions alive in the aftermath of the poll.
With the landslide victory, Oyebanji now secures another four years at the helm of Ekiti State, while the opposition faces the difficult task of rebuilding after one of its most crushing electoral defeats in recent years.