Oyebanji Wins Ekiti Re-Election With 85%, Sweeps All 16 LGAs

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.