Governor Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State has secured a historic second term in office after winning Saturday’s governorship election in a landslide, becoming the first governor since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999 to win both election and re-election back-to-back in the state.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Oyebanji, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), winner of the poll after he recorded an overwhelming 319,224 votes, defeating his closest rivals, Wole Oluyede of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who polled 40,543 votes, and Dare Bejide of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), who secured 12,872 votes.
Announcing the results, the Returning Officer, Prof. Adenike Oladiji, confirmed that the APC candidate won in all the 16 local government areas of the state, completing an unprecedented clean sweep and shattering the succession jinx that has characterized Ekiti politics for nearly three decades.
According to INEC, out of the 988,251 registered voters, 384,940 were accredited, while 382,109 votes were cast. A total of 375,777 votes were declared valid, with 6,332 rejected ballots.
Oyebanji dominated major councils including Ado-Ekiti, where he polled 38,026 votes, Irepodun/Ifelodun with 29,278 votes, Ekiti West with 28,258 votes, Ikole with 26,508 votes and Ekiti East with 26,359 votes.
The victory came despite complaints raised earlier by opposition parties and some observers over alleged vote buying, voter inducement and reported glitches with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in some polling units.
The PDP and ADC had expressed concerns over the conduct of the election and called on INEC to ensure transparency throughout the exercise. However, the electoral umpire maintained that the election was largely peaceful and that issues encountered in some areas were promptly addressed.
In his victory speech, an emotional Oyebanji thanked Ekiti people for what he described as an overwhelming endorsement of his administration.
“The voice of the people has reverberated from every part of our great state, and the message is clear.
“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.
“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.
“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.
“I pledge to honour this immense trust by continuing to lead with humility, dedication and fairness.”
Political analysts say the outcome represents one of the most decisive victories in Ekiti’s democratic history and marks a major milestone in the state’s political evolution.
