INEC declares APC’s Biodun Oyebanji winner of Ekiti governorship election

INEC declares APC’s Biodun Oyebanji winner of Ekiti governorship election

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially declared the incumbent Governor, Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the winner of the Ekiti State governorship election held on Saturday, June 20, 2026.

The official announcement was made on Sunday by the State Returning Officer, Prof. Adenike Oladiji, who is also the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA).

According to the certified results, Oyebanji secured a landslide victory, polling 319,224 votes to defeat his closest rival, Wole Oluyede of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who garnered 40,543 votes.

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Coming a distant third was the candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Ambassador Dare Bejide, with 12,872 votes, while Opeyemi Falegan of the Accord Party placed fourth with 564 votes.

The official declaration

Pronouncing the final results, Prof. Oladiji stated:

“I, Prof. Adenike Oladiji, hereby certify that I am the Returning Officer for the Ekiti State Governorship Election held on June 20, 2026.

“That Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji of the APC, having satisfied the requirements of the law and scored the highest number of votes, is hereby declared the winner and returned elected.”

By the Numbers: Election statistics

Data released by the electoral umpire revealed a total registered voter population of 988,252 in Ekiti State, out of which 384,940 voters were accredited for the poll.

• Registered Voters: 988,252
• Accredited Voters: 384,940
• Valid Votes: 375,777
• Rejected Votes: 6,332
• Total Votes Cast: 382,109

How other political parties fared

The remaining participating political parties shared the rest of the votes as follows:

With this declaration, Governor Oyebanji clears the path to secure his second term in office as the executive governor of Ekiti State.

My re-election a renewed call to greater service, says Governor Oyebanji

Oyebanji described his victory as a renewed call to service, pledging to pilot the affairs of the state with humility, compassion, and the fear of God.

Speaking shortly after INEC declared him the winner, Oyebanji stated that the overwhelming mandate handed to him by the electorate carries a profound weight of responsibility.

The governor expressed deep gratitude to the people of Ekiti State for the confidence reposed in his leadership, assuring them of his unwavering commitment to delivering quality governance and elevating their welfare.

“I have a proper understanding of the responsibility that this victory has placed on my shoulders,” Oyebanji said. “It is a responsibility of service—service to the people of Ekiti State. I want to assure our people that we will continue to serve them with courage, compassion, humility, and the fear of God.”

A promise of accelerated development

Urging residents to expect a higher level of performance in his second term, the Governor noted that the fresh mandate would serve as a catalyst for his administration to work even harder in addressing the core needs and aspirations of the populace.

On his blueprint for the next four years, Oyebanji revealed that his administration would stick to the state’s established development roadmap while remaining flexible enough to adapt to emerging priorities.

“We have a development guide and we will continue to faithfully implement that plan. At the same time, if there are new issues or areas that require attention, we will review them and ensure they are accommodated. Our focus remains the comprehensive implementation of our development agenda for the benefit of all Ekiti people,” the gadded.