INEC declares Oyebanji winner of Ekiti governorship election

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Governor Biodun Oyebanji, as the winner of the 2026 Ekiti State governorship election.

The Returning Officer for the election and Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), Professor Adenike Oladiji, announced the result in the early hours of Sunday after the collation of votes from the state’s 16 local government areas.

According to the results released by INEC, Oyebanji polled a total of 319,224 votes to secure victory and earn another term as governor of Ekiti State.

The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Oluwole Oluyede, came second with 40,543 votes, while Dare Bejide of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) garnered 12,872 votes.

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Professor Oladiji disclosed that 384,940 voters were accredited for the election, while 375,777 valid votes were recorded. She added that 6,332 votes were rejected, bringing the total number of votes cast to 382,109.

Declaring the result, the Returning Officer stated that Governor Oyebanji satisfied the requirements of the law and secured the highest number of valid votes cast in the election.

The governorship election was conducted across the state on Saturday amid a generally peaceful atmosphere, although reports of technical challenges and allegations of irregularities emerged from some polling units.

INEC reported that all 2,445 polling units designated for the election opened for voting, with over 92 per cent commencing operations before 8:30 a.m., while a small number experienced minor delays.

During the exercise, the PDP candidate, Oluwole Oluyede, alleged voter intimidation and challenges associated with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in parts of Ikere Local Government Area. The ADC candidate, Dare Bejide, also raised concerns over alleged irregularities.

However, Governor Oyebanji dismissed the allegations and maintained that the election was conducted satisfactorily, urging those making claims of malpractice to provide evidence.

Security agencies, led by the Nigeria Police Force, maintained a strong presence across the state, deploying personnel to polling units, collation centres and other strategic locations to ensure a peaceful exercise.

Election observers generally commended the peaceful conduct of voters and the orderly nature of the process, while highlighting concerns over procedural issues and isolated technical challenges.

With the declaration of the final results by INEC, Governor Biodun Oyebanji has secured re-election and will continue to lead Ekiti State for another term under the platform of the APC.