Governor Biodun Oyebanji has secured a landslide re-election victory in the Ekiti State governorship election, winning all 16 local government areas and reaffirming the dominance of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Oyebanji winner of Saturday’s poll after he polled 319,224 votes, far ahead of his closest rivals, Olumayokun Oluyede of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who garnered 40,533 votes, and Dare Bejide of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), who secured 12,872 votes.
The overwhelming margin of victory highlighted the APC’s firm grip on the state, with Oyebanji recording commanding performances across major voting centres, including Ado, Irepodun/Ifelodun, Ekiti West, Ikole and Ijero local government areas.
Announcing the final results at the state collation centre in Ado-Ekiti in the early hours of Sunday, the Returning Officer, Prof. Adenike Oladiji, declared the governor duly re-elected.
“Having satisfied the requirements of the law, Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji is hereby declared the winner and stands re-elected,” Oladiji stated.
One of the most notable outcomes of the election emerged from Efon Local Government Area, the home council of PDP candidate Oluyede, where the APC recorded a decisive victory. Oyebanji polled 8,742 votes in the area, while the PDP candidate managed 2,051 votes.
INEC disclosed that out of 988,251 registered voters in the state, 384,940 were accredited for the election. A total of 382,109 votes were cast, with 375,777 votes declared valid.
The APC posted some of its strongest performances in Ado Local Government Area, where it secured 38,026 votes, and in Irepodun/Ifelodun, where it garnered 29,278 votes. The party also recorded impressive figures in Ekiti West with 28,258 votes and Ikole with 26,508 votes.
The victory is expected to further strengthen Oyebanji’s political influence as he prepares for another four-year term in office, while presenting a major challenge for opposition parties seeking to regain ground in the state.
Political analysts say the scale of the governor’s triumph reflects both his growing grassroots popularity and the APC’s entrenched political machinery across Ekiti, making the contest one of the most emphatic governorship victories recorded in the state’s recent political history.
