Biodun Oyebanji Wins Again as Ekiti Governor

Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been re-elected as the Governor of Ekiti State. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officially announced him as the winner of the governorship election.

Mr Oyebanji received the news on Sunday in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital. He secured a large majority of votes from all 16 local government areas in the state.

The final count, shared on Form EC8E, shows that the governor polled a total of 319,224 votes. This was enough to defeat his closest rival, Wole Oluyede of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who got 40,543 votes.

Oluwadare Bejide of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) came in third with a total of 12,872 votes.

Mr Oyebanji won in all 16 local government areas. This victory shows strong support from both urban and rural voters.

INEC's State Collation Officer announced the final results after overseeing the counting from the 16 LGAs. She confirmed that Mr Oyebanji met all requirements set by Nigerian electoral law to be declared the winner.

She also mentioned that 6,332 votes were rejected from a total of 382,109 votes cast. The final count showed 384,940 accredited voters out of 988,251 registered voters in the state.

The votes 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 this declaration, Mr Oyebanji makes history as a second-term governor in Ekiti State. This reinforces the APC’s strong presence in the state.

Looking back, past governors like Ayo Fayose and Kayode Fayemi had two non-consecutive terms. But Mr Oyebanji’s win strengthens his party's hold on governance.

Political analysts say his victory came from the advantage of being in office, strong political ties, and how well his administration has done in areas like infrastructure, education, healthcare, and workers' welfare.

Before the election, he gained support from influential political leaders across different parties, as well as traditional rulers and local structures across all 16 LGAs.

Opposition parties, especially the PDP and ADC, could not unite. Many believe this disunity led to their loss in the election.

Mr Oyebanji’s re-election further strengthens the APC’s control over Ekiti State. He now prepares for another four years in office, backed by a renewed mandate from voters across the state.