#EkitiDecides2026: How Oyebanji won his re-election

Governor Biodun Oyebanji has secured a decisive re-election victory, sweeping all 16 local government areas of Ekiti State. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced results showing Oyebanji, the candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC), garnered 319,224 votes. This significantly outpaced the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which received 40,543 votes, and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) with 12,872 votes.

The governor's dominance was evident across the state, from the capital, Ado Ekiti, to rural areas. The APC's strongest performance was in Ado Ekiti, where Oyebanji secured 38,026 votes, nearly ten times the PDP's total in that area. Major vote banks like Irepodun/Ifelodun, Ekiti West, Ikole, and Ekiti East contributed substantially to his statewide tally, with these five councils providing nearly half of his votes.

While the APC's victory was comprehensive, the Ikere LGA presented the closest contest, with a margin of only 1,224 votes. However, Oyebanji ultimately prevailed even in this area. Key factors contributing to his win include his success in preventing the opposition from establishing any geographical strongholds by winning every LGA, securing overwhelming margins in the largest voting centers, and the opposition's vote being thinly spread.

Despite the INEC declaring the election peaceful, election observers raised concerns about inconsistencies in some electoral materials. Reports also surfaced regarding incidents of vote-buying in various parts of the state. Nevertheless, Oyebanji's victory, with a margin exceeding 278,000 votes over his closest competitor, suggests a less competitive race and solidifies his position for a second term, defying Ekiti's historical trend of unseating incumbents.