Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been re-elected for a second term in office following a resounding victory in the 2026 Ekiti State governorship election, becoming the first incumbent governor in the state’s recent political history to secure re-election while in office.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Oyebanji winner of the poll after he garnered 319,224 votes, defeating the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Wole Oluyede, who polled 40,543 votes. The candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Ambassador Dare Bejide, finished a distant third.
The outcome underscored the APC’s dominance in the state, as Oyebanji reportedly won in all 16 local government areas and maintained commanding leads in key voting centres across Ekiti.
One of the notable victories recorded by the governor was at the polling unit of Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, where he secured 164 votes against eight votes cast for the PDP candidate, further reflecting the widespread support enjoyed by the incumbent administration.
INEC had earlier uploaded more than 90 per cent of polling unit results to its IReV portal before the formal declaration of the winner. A total of 2,208 out of the state’s 2,445 polling unit results had been made available online as collation progressed, enhancing transparency and allowing political parties, observers and voters to independently monitor the process.
The election was generally peaceful, with security personnel deployed across the state to maintain order and ensure the smooth conduct of voting. Election observers commended the orderly process in most parts of the state, although concerns over low voter turnout were raised in some communities.
Oyebanji’s victory is widely viewed as an endorsement of his administration’s performance over the past four years, particularly in the areas of infrastructure development, education, healthcare, agriculture and social welfare programs. His government has also enjoyed the backing of influential political figures in the state, including former governors and key leaders of the APC.
Political analysts say the governor’s re-election could reshape Ekiti’s political landscape by ending the state’s long-standing pattern of rotating power through the defeat of incumbent governors after a single term. The development is also expected to strengthen the APC’s momentum ahead of future electoral contests in the South-West and across the country.
With the election concluded, attention is expected to shift to the governor’s second-term agenda and efforts to consolidate ongoing projects and deliver on campaign promises aimed at sustaining development and improving the living standards of residents of the state.
