Ekiti Gov Poll: INEC Declares Oyebanji Winner Again
By: Abudu Olalekan
Well, it’s official.
Governor Biodun Oyebanji is going back for a second term.
Before dawn broke on Sunday, INEC spoke up following a lengthy count at its base along Iyin Road in Ado-Ekiti.
Truth is, hardly anyone who saw it thought otherwise.
Up stepped Prof. Adenike Oladiji, the Vice Chancellor at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, serving as Returning Officer for the vote count. She stood before the crowd, voice clear as she announced the last numbers. Right after that came what everyone waited for – no pause, no delay.
“Therefore, I, Adenike Oladiji, being the Returning Officer for the 2026 Ekiti State governorship election… Oyebanji Abiodun Abayomi, having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner and stands re-elected.”
Done. Just like that.
With the All Progressives Congress behind him, Oyebanji reached 319,224 votes by election’s end.
Beyond everyone else, he stood alone in front.
He got 40,533 votes under the People’s Democratic Party – Dare Bejide followed behind with just 12,872 on the African Democratic Congress ticket.
Just under 385 thousand people got their names cleared among nearly a million who signed up to vote. Ballots handed in reached close to 382 thousand. Most papers counted – over 375 thousand – were found to follow the rules.
Here’s something odd. In the place he calls home, the PDP hopeful didn’t win. Instead, someone else took it.
From Ikere Ekiti comes Oluyede – one might assume that would be an advantage. Yet things turned out differently. In the local government area, the APC pulled in 11,116 votes. Meanwhile, PDP ended at just 9,872. As for ADC? A mere 245 showed support.
Back like that wasn’t what he’d pictured.
Just like everyone thought, victory slipped easily into the APC’s hands statewide. In every corner – Ado, Oye, Ijero, down to Ikole – their lead held firm. Sixteen local areas tallied, sixteen wins secured.
Out of nowhere, Ado LG delivered the largest count – 38,026 votes – even as smaller areas such as Ilejemeje managed 8,984.
Here’s what happened, one area at a time
Efon APC 8742 PDP 2051 ADC 201
Ijero APC 25506 PDP 2479 ADC 2026
Ikere APC 11116 PDP 9872 ADC 245
Emure APC 14325 PDP 851 ADC 732
Ekiti South West APC 14705 PDP 1800 ADC 1076
Ido Osi Election Results Ido/Osi APC 17901 PDP 1449 ADC 561
Ekiti West APC 28258 PDP 3644 ADC 674
Ado APC 38026 PDP 3817 ADC 1054
Ilejemeje APC 8984 PDP 1243 ADC 579
Ise Orun Results APC 12907 PDP 1627 ADC 365
Oye APC 18,975 PDP 2,891 ADC 998
Moba APC 20,500 PDP 1,572 ADC 994
Gbonyin APC 17133 PDP 1563 ADC 314
Ikole APC 26508 PDP 750 ADC 812
Irepodun Ifelodun APC 29278 PDP 2119 ADC 511
Ekiti East APC 26359 PDP 2795 ADC 1730
So that’s it.
Four more years for Oyebanji.
Darkness still hung heavy when the count began. Quiet filled the room, not a shout in sight. Numbers flowed in, steady, calm. Each figure added weight to what everyone already knew. Before dawn broke, it was settled. The result stood without argument.
Back at his desk again, the ball rests in his court. He moves forward when he chooses.
