Governor Biodun Oyebanji, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has been re-elected as the governor of Ekiti State after winning all 16 local government areas in the governorship election held on Saturday. The results, announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the early hours of Sunday, showed Oyebanji defeating his closest challengers, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Wole Oluyede, and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Dare Bejide, by a wide margin.
Record-Breaking Victory
With this outcome, Oyebanji has set a record as the first governor in Ekiti State’s history to win re-election back-to-back and recorded the highest number of votes in any governorship poll in the state since 1999. He also became only the second governorship candidate to win all local government areas in an election in the state, after former governor Ayodele Fayose, who achieved the feat in the 2014 governorship election.
The returning officer, Professor Adenike Oladiji, announced that Oyebanji secured a clean sweep across the state. His victory extended beyond traditional APC strongholds, as he triumphed in Ikere, the home local government of PDP candidate Oluyede, and Ekiti Southwest, the home council of ADC candidate Bejide.
Detailed Results
According to the results announced, Oyebanji polled his highest votes in Ado Local Government Area, where he secured 38,026 votes against PDP’s 3,817 and ADC’s 1,054. In Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area, he garnered 29,278 votes, while he scored 28,258 votes in Ekiti West, 26,508 votes in Ikole, 26,359 votes in Ekiti East, and 25,506 votes in Ijero. The governor also secured victories in Moba, Oye, Ido/Osi, Ayekire, Ise/Orun, Ikere, Emure, Efon, and Ilejemeje local government areas by comfortable margins.
The PDP candidate failed to win any local government, including his native Ikere council, where Oyebanji polled 11,116 votes against Oluyede’s 9,872 votes. Similarly, ADC standard bearer Bejide lost in Ekiti South-West, his home local government, where he scored 1,076 votes compared to Oyebanji’s 14,705 votes.
Collation Process
The presentation of results began shortly after the commencement of state collation at about 12:30 a.m. on Sunday, with local government collation officers taking turns to announce figures from their respective councils before the state returning officer. At Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area, the collation officer, Prof. Michael Adeyemi, reported that voting was cancelled in one polling unit due to over-voting, but noted that the incident did not substantially affect the overall outcome of the election in the council.
Reactions to Victory
Reacting to the victory, the senator representing Ekiti North, who was the agent of the governor at the collation centre, described the victory as well deserved. He said that Ekiti people have repaid the governor with their votes, stating that they should expect more dividends of democracy in his second term. He urged other contestants to support the governor to serve the people, adding that there is no victor, no vanquished, and that Ekiti people are the winners.
