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.
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.
Political observers say the outcome reflects widespread support for Oyebanji’s administration and strengthens the APC’s grip on Ekiti politics ahead of future elections.
