Governor Biodun Oyebanji secured re-election by sweeping all 16 local government areas and claiming 85 per cent of the popular vote, a margin that places this contest among the most decisive governorship outcomes recorded in the South West in recent years.

The Independent National Electoral Commission‘s Returning Officer, Professor Adenike Oladiji, announced the result at about 3:13 a.m. on Sunday, confirming Oyebanji’s victory with 319,224 votes. The Peoples Democratic Party’s Oluwole Oluyede trailed distantly with 40,543 votes, while Dare Bejide of the African Democratic Congress polled 12,872 votes.

Oladiji, who doubles as Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, provided a full breakdown of Saturday’s exercise. A total of 384,940 voters were accredited across the state’s 16 local government areas. Of the 382,109 total votes cast, 375,777 were valid, while 6,332 ballots were rejected.

The arithmetic confirms what the headline figures already suggested: Oyebanji’s victory was not narrow, contested, or marginal. It was a comprehensive sweep that touched every corner of the state, from Ado-Ekiti’s urban core to the most rural communities in the local government areas.

The governor’s reaction, issued in a statement following the declaration, combined the customary language of gratitude with a more pointed commitment to governance.
“The voice of the people has reverberated from every part of our great state, and the message is clear,” Oyebanji said. “I am deeply humbled by the scale of this victory. Securing a clean sweep across all 16 local government areas and 85 per cent of the popular vote is a humbling vote of confidence from Ekiti Kete.”

He extended the framing beyond simple electoral arithmetic, describing the result as evidence of unified public sentiment. “From our urban centres to our most remote communities, you have spoken with one thunderous voice for continuous development, stability and a future of endless opportunities.”

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Beyond the celebratory tone, Oyebanji used the moment to outline what he believes the mandate now demands of his administration.
“This mandate means that our work must touch every household even deeper,” he said. “There are no winners or losers today; there is only one united Ekiti determined to continue its journey of upward mobility. I pledge to honour this immense trust by continuing to lead with humility, dedication and fairness.”

The phrase “touch every household even deeper” is a deliberate signal. Second-term governors in Nigeria frequently use the post-election period to recommit to specific development priorities — education, healthcare, rural infrastructure, and job creation typically feature prominently. Whether Oyebanji’s second term translates that rhetoric into measurable improvements in household welfare across Ekiti’s 16 local government areas will be the central test of his renewed mandate.

Saturday’s election proceeded largely without major disruption, a point worth noting given Nigeria’s history of contentious state-level contests. However, the process was not entirely free of friction. Reports emerged of technical challenges in some polling units, alongside allegations of irregularities in select locations.

Neither issue appears to have significantly altered the overall outcome, given the scale of Oyebanji’s victory margin. A result this decisive — 85 per cent of the popular vote and a sweep of every local government area — would typically be difficult for any losing party to credibly contest on the basis of isolated technical hitches.
Whether the PDP or ADC formally challenge any aspect of the process through Nigeria’s election petition tribunals remains to be seen. As of this report, no such legal action has been announced by either of Oyebanji’s two main challengers.

For political observers across Nigeria’s South West, Oyebanji’s landslide carries implications beyond Ekiti’s borders. A clean sweep of all 16 local government areas, combined with an 85 per cent vote share, represents the kind of decisive endorsement that incumbent governors across the region will study closely.

It also raises the bar for what accountability looks like during a second term. Voters who deliver a mandate of this magnitude typically expect commensurate delivery — in infrastructure, in social services, and in the kind of household-level impact that Oyebanji himself referenced in his victory statement.
Ekiti residents have given their governor an unambiguous vote of confidence. The next four years will determine whether that confidence was well placed.

The Nasarawa North senatorial by-election has sparked a storm of controversy, with Labour Party candidate Labaran Maku rejecting the outcome and demanding its cancellation.

Maku, a former Minister of Information, addressed journalists at his Wakama residence in Nasarawa Eggon Local Government Area. He described the exercise as a “sham” and accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of failing to uphold electoral laws. According to him, the Returning Officer ignored complaints of fraud raised by Labour Party agents.

Maku alleged that the state government orchestrated the manipulation, claiming presiding officers were pressured on the eve of the election not to “disgrace” the government. He insisted that INEC merely provided a platform for vote allocation rather than conducting a genuine election.

The Labour Party candidate highlighted several areas where he said voting did not occur. In Nassarawa Eggon/Alizaga, Umme, and Alushi wards, he alleged that only thumb-printing took place, with no use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS). He also pointed to Agyaga and Ningo-Bohar wards in Akwanga LGA, where figures were allegedly manipulated, and Gudi polling units where irregularities were reported.

In Wamba LGA, Maku claimed thumb-printing was widespread in Mama and other polling units. He further alleged that BVAS malfunctions in Akun Development Area disenfranchised many voters, particularly in his home community.

Maku urged the Federal Government to investigate the election, describing the conduct as a “national embarrassment.” He argued that the irregularities undermined Nigeria’s democratic process and demanded accountability from INEC officials.

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Labour Party collation agents across Nasarawa Eggon, Akwanga, and Wamba LGAs backed Maku’s claims. Dr Benjamin Ango, the LP Returning Officer, alongside agents Alidzi Godwin, Jacob Odobi, and Stephen Habila, confirmed evidence of thumb-printing, non-use of BVAS, and breaches of electoral law. They pledged to present documented proof to support their case.

The press briefing was attended by key Labour Party figures, including Rep. Jonathan Gaza, LP governorship candidate in Nasarawa State, and Adamu Ninga, the party’s candidate for the Akwanga/Nasarawa Eggon/Wamba Federal Constituency in 2027. Former Inspector-General of Police Mohammed Adamu and Silas Agara were also acknowledged for their support during the campaign.

Maku’s rejection of the poll sets the stage for legal battles. He announced that the Labour Party would withdraw from the election and pursue redress through the courts if INEC failed to cancel the exercise. His position speaks to the hardening attitude of many opposition political parties on election transparency in the country.

This spat in Nasarawa North, though a localised affair, speaks to more persistent, recurring problems within Nigeria’s election architecture, such as ballot box stuffing, vote buying and voter suppression tactics. It speaks, for most analysts, of the imperative to more strongly embrace BVAS, reinforce security at polling centres and enhance accountability for the compilation of election results.

Following the declaration of results by INEC, whether this local conflict would spill into broader, national impact on electoral legitimacy in Nigeria will depend heavily on how the case turns out. The outcome could thus be decisive if Maku and the Labour Party prove convincingly in the court of law that the election did not take place as widely claimed, undermining Nigeria’s pursuit of electoral integrity in preparation for the 2027 elections.

The Enugu North Senatorial by-election has ended with a decisive victory for the All Progressives Congress (APC), but the result is already mired in controversy.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Ikeje Asogwa winner of the poll, securing 162,360 votes. His closest rival, Nestor Ezeme of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), managed 9,299 votes.

The candidates could not catch up with the margin. NDC, ADC, LP, PRP and BOOT got less than 5,000 votes. The victory also shows that the APC, has increased its political base in Enugu State, an area hitherto the stronghold of the PDP.

In his acceptance remarks, Asogwa thanked voters for their confidence. He credited Governor Peter Mbah’s leadership for the party’s success and extended gratitude to deputy governor, party leaders, traditional rulers, religious figures, youth groups, women’s associations, security agencies, electoral officials, and the media. He pledged to deliver quality representation in the Senate.

Despite the official declaration, opposition parties swiftly rejected the outcome. PDP candidate Ezeme alleged widespread violence, claiming armed thugs disrupted voting in Udenu Local Government Area. He accused APC of orchestrating ballot snatching and voter intimidation, describing the exercise as a “rape of democracy.”

The PRP also condemned the process. Its National Vice Chairman (South-East), Peter Okafor, demanded cancellation, citing thuggery, ballot box snatching, and intimidation. Juliet Ugwuja, Director-General of the PRP Campaign Organisation, alleged that party agents were chased out of polling units and vowed to challenge the result in court.

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Victims of Violence Some Voters and residents said one man, identified as Sunday Ofoma was shot in Nsukka while another, Sunday Ugwuja was brutalized with axe while queuing to vote.

Two journalists covering the election — Chinazom Amadi of Dega Voice Newspaper and Uche Okwuanyionu of Lion FM — were arrested by security operatives but later released. These incidents have raised concerns about press freedom and the safety of electoral observers.

APC leaders in Udenu and Igbo-Eze North dismissed the allegations, insisting the election was free and fair. Dr. Innocent Ezeoha and Onyekachi Simon argued that the party mobilised effectively and that the outcome reflected the will of the people. They expressed confidence that Asogwa would represent the district with distinction.

The by-election was conducted to fill the vacant Enugu North Senatorial seat. But in a nation where elections are still frequently mired in fraud and violence, including this Saturday’s election where an APC win gives the ruling party more political power in the South-East, it’s far too early to call.

Even with the scale of APC victory likely to show how political alignments are shifting in Enugu, there is an obvious lingering problem with the integrity of the process-and other opposition parties are likely already making preparations to get to court.

In Nigeria, where there is sometimes much more drama around any election than there is within it, voters will be holding their breath as they watch what happens over the next few weeks.

For voters, especially those in Enugu North, where intimidation has reportedly been prevalent, a clean win such as Asogwa’s in a violence-fraught election could be an even worse indication of the health of the electoral process.

“How am I sure my votes were counted when there was intimidation? Is this real or fake?” a voter told DW reporter Chuks Ojiba in a local language spoken around the areas where the by-elections were held. INEC has been under increasing pressure to take all possible steps, including ensuring adequate security at polling stations and the protection of journalists and electoral observers, to ensure elections of credibility for the sake of building up confidence in the country’s institutions of democracy.

A clear victory in Enugu North could do a lot for APC; this controversial vote, however, has confirmed for many Nigerians that elections just won’t be what they seem to be anytime soon, and the outcome, in this case of Enugu North by-elections, will likely end in the hands of judges – and it has a long way to go.