The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and incumbent Governor of Ekiti State, Biodun Oyebanji, the winner of the Ekiti State governorship election held on Saturday, securing a second term in office after recording a sweeping victory across the state.
Oyebanji was returned elected after polling 319,224 votes, defeating his challengers, Olumayokun Oluyede of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who scored 40,533 votes, and Dare Bejide of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), who secured 12,872 votes.
The result was officially announced in the early hours of Sunday at INEC’s state headquarters in Ado-Ekiti, by the Returning Officer for the election and Vice Chancellor of Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), Prof. Adenike Oladiji.
Declaring the final result, Prof. Oladiji said: “Therefore, I, Adenike, 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, the election recorded 988,251 registered voters, while 384,949 voters were accredited to participate in the exercise across the state’s 16 local government areas.
A total of 382,109 votes were cast, out of which 375,777 were declared valid votes, while the remaining ballots were rejected.
The election, conducted across thousands of polling units statewide under tight security deployment, saw the APC dominate all the 16 local government areas, underscoring the party’s continued political strength in the South-West state.
The governorship race featured candidates from 14 political parties, with Oyebanji facing strong opposition from Oluwole Oluyede of the PDP, Oluwadare Bejide of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Opeyemi Falegan of the Accord Party, Joseph Anifowose of the Allied People’s Movement (APM), Oyebanji Olajuyin of the Labour Party (LP), Blessing Abegunde of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), and Olaniyi Ayodele of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP).
Other candidates who participated in the election included Bidemi Awogbemi of the Action Peoples Party (APP), Akande Oluwasegun of the African Action Congress (AAC), Ayodeji Ojo of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), Victor Adetunji of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), alongside candidates of other participating parties.
Breakdown of the final local government results announced by INEC showed APC maintaining a commanding lead across all councils.
In Efon Local Government Area, APC secured 8,742 votes, defeating PDP which scored 2,051 votes, while ADC polled 201 votes.
In Ijero Local Government Area, APC recorded 25,506 votes, PDP secured 2,479 votes, while ADC polled 2,026 votes.
In Ikere Local Government Area, APC scored 11,116 votes, PDP recorded 9,872 votes, while ADC polled 245 votes.
In Emure Local Government Area, APC secured 14,325 votes, PDP scored 851 votes, while ADC recorded 732 votes.
In Ekiti South-West Local Government Area, APC polled 14,705 votes, PDP secured 1,800 votes, while ADC recorded 1,076 votes.
In the Ido/Osi Local Government Area, APC secured 17,901 votes, PDP scored 1,449 votes, while ADC polled 561 votes.
In Ekiti West Local Government Area, APC recorded 28,258 votes, while PDP secured 364 votes and ADC polled 674 votes.
In Ado Local Government Area, the largest voting bloc, APC secured 38,026 votes, PDP polled 3,817 votes, while ADC recorded 1,054 votes.
In Ilejemeje Local Government Area, APC scored 8,984 votes, PDP secured 1,243 votes, while ADC polled 579 votes.
In Ise/Orun Local Government Area, APC recorded 12,907 votes, PDP scored 1,627 votes, while ADC polled 365 votes.
In Oye Local Government Area, APC secured 18,975 votes, PDP recorded 2,891 votes, while ADC scored 998 votes.
In Moba Local Government Area, APC polled 20,500 votes, PDP secured 1,572 votes, while ADC recorded 994 votes.
In Ayekire/Gbonyin Local Government Area, APC scored 17,133 votes, PDP secured 1,563 votes, while ADC polled 314 votes.
In Ikole Local Government Area, APC recorded 26,508 votes, PDP scored 750 votes, while ADC secured 812 votes.
In Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area, APC polled 29,278 votes, PDP secured 2,119 votes, while ADC recorded 511 votes.
In Ekiti East Local Government Area, APC secured 26,359 votes, PDP polled 2,795 votes, while ADC scored 1,730 votes.
Oyebanji’s victory further consolidates APC’s political dominance in Ekiti State and hands the governor a fresh four-year mandate to continue leading the state.
