- Sweeps All 16 LGs, PDP, ADC In Distant Second, Third Positions
- Oyebanji: My Victory Shows Ekiti People’s Desire For Continuity, Stability, Progress
- Fayemi Hails Peaceful Election, Commends Electoral Officials
- Vote-Buying Allegations, BVAS Glitches Mar Poll
The Independent National Electoral Commission has declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Governor Biodun Oyebanji, winner of the Ekiti State governorship election held on Saturday.
Oyebanji secured a sweeping victory across the state’s 16 local government areas, polling 319,224 votes to defeat his closest challengers — the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Olumayokun Oluyede, who garnered 40,533 votes, and the African Democratic Congress candidate, Dare Bejide, who polled 12,872 votes.
The Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Adenike Oladiji, Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, announced the result in the early hours of Sunday at the INEC headquarters on Iyin Road, Ado-Ekiti.
Declaring the result, Oladiji said, “Therefore, I, Adenike Oladiji, am the returning officer for the 2026 Ekiti governorship election. Oyebanji Abiodun Abayomi, having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner and stands re-elected.”
According to INEC, there were 988,251 registered voters in the state, while 384,940 voters were accredited for the election. A total of 382,109 votes were cast, out of which 375,777 were declared valid.
The APC candidate dominated the poll in all 16 local government areas, including Efon Local Government Area, the hometown of the PDP candidate, where Oyebanji polled 8,742 votes against Oluyede’s 2,051 votes.
In Ado Local Government Area, the APC recorded one of its highest margins with 38,026 votes, while the PDP polled 3,817 votes and the ADC secured 1,054 votes.
Other notable results showed the APC polling 29,278 votes in Irepodun/Ifelodun, 28,258 votes in Ifelodun/Otun, and 26,508 votes in Ikole Local Government Area.
Reacting to the victory in a post on X on Sunday morning, Oyebanji described his sweeping re-election victory as a powerful endorsement of his administration’s performance, pledging to deepen development and deliver more dividends of democracy across the state.
Reacting to the outcome of the governorship election, Oyebanji said the overwhelming support he received from voters across the state reflected the collective desire of Ekiti people for continuity, stability and sustained progress.
“The voice of the people has reverberated from every part of our great state, and the message is clear,” the governor declared.
Oyebanji expressed gratitude to the electorate for handing him what he described as a historic mandate, noting that winning all 16 local government areas and securing about 85 per cent of the popular vote was both humbling and inspiring.
“I am deeply humbled by the scale of this victory. Securing a clean sweep across all 16 local government areas, and 85 per cent of the popular vote is a humbling vote of confidence from Ekiti Kete,” he said.
The governor noted that the outcome demonstrated overwhelming support from both urban and rural communities, adding that residents had spoken with “one thunderous voice” in favour of continued development and economic advancement.
“From our urban centres to our most remote communities, you have spoken with one thunderous voice for continuous development, stability, and a future of endless opportunities,” Oyebanji stated.
He stressed that the victory would not be taken for granted, promising that his administration would work harder to ensure that governance impacts every household in the state.
According to him, the election should not be viewed as a contest with winners and losers, but as a triumph for a united Ekiti committed to collective progress.
“This mandate means that our work must touch every household even deeper. There are no winners or losers today, there is only one united Ekiti determined to continue its journey of upward mobility,” he said.
Reaffirming his commitment to inclusive governance, Oyebanji pledged to continue leading the state with humility, fairness and dedication.
“I pledge to honor this immense trust by continuing to lead with humility, dedication and fairness,” the governor added.
He thanked the people of the state for what he described as a historic show of confidence in his leadership, saying:
“Thank you, Ekiti Kete, for making history with us.”
Former Governor Kayode Fayemi commended the electoral process after voting alongside his wife, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, in Isan-Ekiti.
“It was a smooth experience. Everything went reasonably well. The accreditation process was fast and seamless,” Fayemi said.
Despite the generally peaceful atmosphere, allegations of vote-buying dominated discussions in several communities.
ADC candidate Dare Bejide accused political actors of inducing voters through both cash and electronic transfers, alleging that large sums of money were distributed around polling areas.
The allegations were echoed by civil society organisations, including Yiaga Africa and the Balm in Gilead Foundation, which reported incidents of voter inducement in some locations.
Yiaga Africa’s Executive Director, Samson Itodo, expressed concern that some of the alleged incidents occurred in the presence of security personnel.
“There were cases of vote-buying. Some of these happened in the presence of police officers and, in some cases, they didn’t do anything about it,” he said.
However, the Commissioner of Police in charge of election security, Abayomi Shogunle, dismissed the allegations as unsubstantiated, insisting that no formal complaints backed by credible evidence had been received.
The election also exposed persistent technological challenges, particularly with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
Several elderly voters complained that the machines failed to capture their fingerprints and facial features, preventing them from voting.
Former presidential aide, Babafemi Ojudu, lamented the slow pace of accreditation at his polling unit, attributing the delay to BVAS glitches.
“There is clearly a problem with the system. The BVAS was malfunctioning,” he said.
Among those affected were 86-year-old Alli Sunday, over 100-year-old Mary Ajagbanla, and 91-year-old Matthew Omotayo, all of whom reportedly failed accreditation despite possessing valid voter cards.
In another dramatic development, operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) deployed to monitor vote-buying were confronted by angry voters at a polling unit in Iyin Ekiti and forced to leave the area.
The incident briefly heightened tension, although voting continued uninterrupted.
Observers also noted that some politicians and VIPs moved around with armed security escorts despite an earlier directive by the Ekiti State Police Command prohibiting such movement around polling units and collation centres.
Meanwhile, the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria Election Observation Hub described the election as largely peaceful, orderly and inclusive.
The observer group, which deployed 598 personnel across the state, commended INEC for early deployment of materials and officials, while also highlighting concerns about vote-buying and isolated incidents of intimidation.
The observers further praised the participation of women, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups, describing the level of inclusion as encouraging.
As collation progresses and more results are uploaded, attention remains firmly fixed on the final outcome of a governorship election that has so far combined technological transparency, strong voter participation and intense political competition.
The election results further underscored the APC’s dominance in the state as the opposition parties failed to secure victory in any local government area.
