Oyebanji secures landslide re-election as INEC declares APC winner of Ekiti governorship poll
The candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Biodun Oyebanji, has been declared the winner of the 2026 Ekiti State governorship election after securing a decisive victory across the state.
The official declaration was made in the early hours of Sunday by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Returning Officer for the election, Professor Adenike Oladiji, who is also the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology.
Announcing the results at the state collation centre, Oladiji said Oyebanji polled a total of 319,224 votes to emerge victorious in the keenly contested off-cycle governorship election.
According to the results released by INEC, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Oluwole Oluyede, came a distant second with 40,543 votes, while Dare Bejide of the African Democratic Party (ADP) secured 12,872 votes.
The outcome confirms a commanding performance by the incumbent governor and the APC, which maintained a strong lead throughout the collation process.
READ ALSO; Oyebanji extends lead as APC dominates Ekiti governorship race with 91% of results uploaded
Professor Oladiji disclosed that a total of 384,940 voters were accredited for the election. She added that 375,777 votes were deemed valid, while 6,332 ballots were rejected.
The election witnessed a significant turnout, with reports indicating that more than 300,000 eligible voters participated in the exercise across the state’s 16 local government areas.
The governorship election, which was closely monitored by election observers, security agencies, and political stakeholders, was largely conducted peacefully in most parts of the state, although there were isolated reports of logistical challenges in some areas.
With the declaration, Oyebanji has secured another term in office, extending the APC’s control of Ekiti State and reinforcing the party’s dominance in the South-West political landscape.
Political analysts say the wide margin of victory reflects the APC’s strong grassroots structure in the state, while the result is expected to shape political calculations ahead of future electoral contests both within Ekiti and across the region.
INEC is expected to issue the governor-elect with a Certificate of Return in accordance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, formally confirming his mandate to continue leading the state for another term.