Ado-Ekiti, June 21, 2026 — The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the Ekiti State governorship election, securing a landslide victory and a second term in office.
Oyebanji polled 319,224 votes, defeating his closest challenger, Wole Oluyede of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who scored 40,543 votes, while Oluwadare Bejide of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) came third with 12,872 votes.
Announcing the result at the INEC collation centre in Ado-Ekiti in the early hours of Sunday, the Returning Officer, Prof. Adenike Timidayo Oladiji, confirmed that Oyebanji met all constitutional requirements and was duly elected.
“Having satisfied the requirements of the law, he is hereby returned elected,” Oladiji stated.
The victory marks a historic milestone, as Oyebanji becomes the first governor since Ekiti State’s creation in 1996 to win a second consecutive term, sweeping all 16 local government areas in the state.
INEC disclosed that total valid votes stood at 375,778, with 6,332 rejected votes out of 382,109 total votes cast. Despite reports of relatively low voter turnout in some areas, the election was largely peaceful.
Oyebanji, who assumed office in 2022, campaigned on his administration’s record in infrastructure, education, healthcare, and rural development, earning endorsements from key political figures and party leaders.
The election featured 14 candidates across major parties, including the PDP, ADC, and Labour Party. While there were pre-election concerns and allegations of irregularities such as vote-buying and technical issues, INEC and observers described the process as generally credible, with a high rate of result uploads to the IReV portal.
Reacting to the outcome, APC supporters celebrated the victory as a strong endorsement of continuity, while opposition voices raised concerns, though no formal petitions had been publicly detailed as of press time.
The result reinforces APC’s political dominance in Ekiti State ahead of future electoral cycles, as attention now shifts to post-election developments and the governor’s second-term agenda.
